How to Repair a Low Spot in an Asphalt Driveway
The general choice to be made for paving a driveway is to decide between concrete driveways and asphalt driveways. Both kinds of driveways have their own advantages and disadvantages. Concrete driveways are susceptible to damage due to salt which is used frequently on roads during winters to remove snow. They may even crack if the base is not compacted. Similarly, a driveway paved with asphalt is susceptible to becoming soft in hot weather. Asphalted driveways are cheaper to make than those paved with concrete. However, asphalt driveways need a lot of care if you want to protect them since they regularly need to be sealed. However, the fact is that the job takes a lot of time and effort. These driveways can last for around 25 to 30 years if maintained properly.
Having a damaged driveway, either asphalt or concrete, is a common problem that can be fixed with just a little effort on the part of the owner. However, it has been noticed that asphalt ones can be repaired more easily. These driveways are usually assailed by problems like low spots, ruts or potholes.
These problems can easily be tackled through maintenance techniques for which many materials are available in the market such as solid cold-patches and emulsified liquids.
Some of the points to be kept in mind before repairing your driveway would be to check a few things such as car wheels leaving impressions on the driveway. This could be an indication of a poorly constructed driveway. Signs of drainage problems could be tilting or heaving of the driveway during winters, or even cracking or buckling. In case of such unusual problems, the only remedy could be to get a new driveway.
However, more common among problems affecting asphalt driveways could be crumbling and minor cracks that are easier to handle. You have to select the means and materials of repair according to the situation (whether you have decided to fill low spots of patch or coat the driveway). The retailer can help you with the selection you should make.
There are simple ways to go about repairing low spots on your driveway.
Low spots, often called birdbaths because of their tendency to create puddles of water on the driveways, if not very deep (not more than an inch) can be filled up to make them level with the surrounding. This has to be done after loose material has been carefully removed from the crack using a brush or chisel and a broom. A badly soiled or greasy patch may be washed with cleaning agents available in the market, and especially meant for cleaning driveways. Make sure that there isn’t any standing water while the patching material is being applied, though the surface can be slightly damp. Apply "driveway coating" or emulsified liquid asphalt so that the new and the old material adhere together. Smooth and then tamp the patch and allow the driveway to dry for a day before you seal-coat the whole driveway. In case of a huge pothole, use cold patches, which are easier to handle than hot patches. The patches must be applied gradually (2″ patches at a time) and repeatedly tamped to avoid the formation of air pockets.