Keeping asphalt pavement maintained with good practices and repairs is essential to keep your property in great condition. Here are some recommendations to help you take the best care of your asphalt pavement.
Use Damage Prevention
It is always best to prevent damage to your asphalt before it occurs. Doing so saves you time and money and keeps your pavement working to its fullest. Take careful inventory of the condition of your asphalt on a regular basis to be on the lookout for cracks that are forming.
As you clean your pavement off after mowing the lawn, washing tools and vehicles, or completing other yard work, inspect the asphalt for cracks and their growth. If you notice a small crack, for example, keep an eye on it over a period of days, weeks, and months, then if they grow in width and size, clean them of debris and vegetation so you can fill them with a proper asphalt crack filler material. You should follow up by keeping cracks free of vegetation growth, so they don't have the potential for further damage.
Apply Asphalt Repairs
Damage can occur to your asphalt surface from regular aging due to the sun, wind, and temperature changes. It can also age from normal wear and tear. As the sun dries out your pavement's surface, the emulsion tar dries out as well, and crumbles apart to leave the aggregate loose with raveling. The raveling of your pavement is a danger that you don't want to leave on your property because it can cause a tripping hazard and your asphalt will eventually erode away and need replacement. An asphalt replacement by a professional pavement crew is an optimal option because it will correct the problem and restore the pavement with a brand new surface.
Damage to your asphalt can also occur in the form of depressions on the surface. These lower spots occur because the foundation material was not compacted properly when the asphalt was originally poured. Erosion and settling of the foundation materials will cause the pavement to sink inward and crack. When this type of damage is left without proper repairs, it will cause the depression to crack apart and turn into a pothole the same size of the depression.
If you have sunken spots in your pavement, it is best to have the area excavated so it can be repaired with a functional foundation. Your asphalt crew will be able to repair the foundation and replace the asphalt layer for full structure.
For more information, contact a company like New England Paving.
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