How To Patch Asphalt Cracks
Asphalt, no matter how large or small the slab is, will crack and age over the years. Unsightly cracks in your asphalt are annoying and can become trip hazards. This is a major concern if you are a property owner. This is why it is so important to patch asphalt cracks as soon as they form. If you do have small asphalt cracks, you can easily fix them with premixed crack filler. This article explains how to use premixed asphalt crack filler on small cracks.
Cleaning and Prepping the Crack
Prepping the crack is very important, because the filler will not work properly if the crack is not clean. First, you should sweep the crack and then spray it down with a hose. Pull any weeds growing out of the crack. You need to see how deep the crack is by pouring a little bit of water into it. If it immediately starts to overflow, your crack is ready to be filled. However, if it seems that the water is draining into the crack, it might be too deep to fill right away. You will probably have to use too much crack filler to completely fill the cavity underneath the crack. A cheaper alternative is to fill the crack with sand before adding the crack filler. Fill it to a level that is relatively even. For example, try filling it until your crack is about 1" deep.
Pouring the Crack Filler
Now, you can pour the crack filler. Most premixed fillers come in an easy-to-use squeeze bottle. However, you will need a squeegee to spread the filler as soon as you pour it. If you are filling a lot of cracks, you should invest in a broom squeegee. This will allow you to spread the crack filler without having to bend up and down all day. The key to using the squeegee is spreading the filler and pushing it down into the crack. You want to push down on the edges so the filler dries without a large ridge. Try to slightly taper the edges down. Once the filler dries, there is a good chance that small sections will sink. Just fill in these sections with more crack filler.
As you can see, this is a relatively simple job. But, if you skip any of the important steps, your crack filler might not last as long as it should. Contact a company like Pavemasters for more information.
