Three Common Asphalt Driveway Problems -- And How To Solve Them
Asphalt driveways are often seen as an excellent alternative to gravel driveways. They stay tidier, look nicer, and last longer while needing less maintenance. However, asphalt driveways are not without their faults. Sometimes, an asphalt driveway will develop one or more of the following problems. The good news is that all of these problems do have solutions -- which you can either implement yourself or hire a professional to implement. Here are three common asphalt driveway problems and how they can be solved.
Raveling
Does part of your driveway look like it has chunks of loose gravel sitting on the surface? It may look like some chunks have worked their way up and are now sitting on top of the asphalt driveway. This is basically what has happened, and the process is known as raveling. It happens once water works its way into the asphalt and keeps spreading in and under it.
To fix raveling, you or your asphalt paving professional will first need to remove all of the loosened gravel and chunks. Then you'll need to patch the asphalt, being sure to use an extra wet and sticky mix. This should stop the raveling.
Potholes
Potholes happen when water has been standing in the same place for a long time. They usually start as a small depression, perhaps where someone has been parking their car, and then they fill with water and become deeper over time. People often assume they can patch a pothole by using a bunch of crack fillers. But since the base of the asphalt has likely been eroded, too, the repairs take a bit more than that. You need actual, mixed asphalt to fill in a pothole. You can buy a small amount of asphalt from a supplier, or you can simply hire someone to come pour it in and smooth it out. That's all there really is to fill the hole.
Alligator Cracking
Alligator cracking is when your asphalt starts to develop all of these little winding, spiraling cracks on its surface. It will just get worse and spread if you don't do anything about it. Usually, the best solution is to use a crack filler and just spread it over the entire area. This will fill the cracks and give them more structural stability so they stop spreading. The bit of filler that remains on top, between the cracks, will help add stability as well.
Hopefully these solutions serve you well. Talk to an asphalt paving company if you need more paving solutions.