A Comprehensive Guide To Keeping Your New Asphalt Surface Looking Like New

Asphalt paving can be expensive. However, once the asphalt is put down, the surface can be used for a long time if proper care is taken. On the bright side, keeping your asphalt surface as good as new requires regular maintenance and a reliable contractor.

The Pavement Group provides quality paving solutions at reasonable rates to commercial clients in Minneapolis, MN. If you have an asphalt surface in need of repaving or repair, click here to get a free pavement quote.

To ensure that timely maintenance work is done on the asphalt surface, property managers need to set aside an amount for:

Crack Sealing

All cracks in the asphalt need to be filled immediately, or they will cause additional damage.

Small cracks need to be filled with hot rubberized crack sealant to protect against water entering the subbase through the existing surface cracks. Larger cracks are filled with an asphalt mastic material which contains asphalt binder and aggregate. Mastic is flexible and does well in different weather and traffic conditions while still maintaining a waterproof seal for the surface.

Pothole repair

Potholes need to be cleaned of all loose or damaged asphalt, water, and debris and filled with asphalt and compacted.

This process can take from a few hours to a day or more. How long it takes depends on the amount of damage, number and size of the potholes, and how much material it takes.

Alligator cracking repair

Many cracks present on the same surface area in the pattern of an alligator’s back are called alligator cracks. 

Alligator cracking occurs due to repeated impact with significant force or ignoring asphalt maintenance issues and lack of maintenance. Unlike normal cracks, these cannot be filled and be ready for use. 

This cracking is a sign of more significant deterioration and possibly foundational damage. Therefore, that damaged patch from the asphalt surface needs to be removed and repaved to bond as one firm surface with the remaining undamaged area and eliminate the significant water intrusion that happens if the damage is not repaired.

Sealcoating

An asphalt surface requires sealcoating after a year or two of being paved because by then, the surface has fully cured, and the damage from the elements will start to progress. What sealcoating essentially does is it covers the surface with a protective layer that keeps the asphalt safe against weather elements, moisture, and damage. 

It doesn’t stop the damage done by excessive weight or use but reduces its impact. Therefore, every few years, sealcoating is required to keep the asphalt surface functional and in great shape over the surface’s life. Without sealcoating, your pavement surface will require repaving on a more frequent schedule.

Repainting Pavement Markings

Part of maintenance is ensuring the markings on the road – or parking lot – are still visible. 

Years of use can cause the paint to wear off, potentially resulting in accidents, lack of drivers being able to locate ADA Parking Stalls, crosswalks, etc. Therefore, every now and then, especially after repaving, sealcoating, and even cracksealing, the pavement markings should be repainted.

The Pavement Group provides quality asphalt paving and maintenance solutions to clients in Minneapolis, MN, and other areas. If you need to get a surface repaved or repaired, click here to get a free pavement quote now.