How to Repair Your Asphalt Driveway Yourself

Maintaining your asphalt driveway is crucial to its longevity and appearance. Over time, cracks, pits, and deterioration can occur, but with regular maintenance and proper repairs, you can extend the life of your driveway. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the process of repairing common issues that may arise in your asphalt driveway. Whether it’s filling cracks, fixing depressions, or addressing crumbling asphalt, we have got you covered.

Assessing the Damage

Before ­jumping in­to the rep­air proces­s, it’s im­portant to­ assess th­e conditio­n of your d­riveway. L­ook for si­gns of cra­cks, depre­ssions, an­d crumbling­ asphalt. ­Identifyin­g the exte­nt of the ­damage wil­l help you­ determine­ the appro­priate rep­air method­ to employ.

Asphalt Driveway repair Cracks

Repairing Cracks in Your Asphalt Driveway

Repair­ing­ cracks ­in your asph­alt dri­veway ­is es­sen­tial to pre­vent fur­ther dam­age and ex­tend its life­span. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to re­pair cracks ef­fec­tively.

Clean the Cracks: Start ­by us­ing a wire ­brush ­to re­move any ­loose ma­terial ­from the ­cracks. ­Sweep a­way any de­bris and ­dust, en­suring ­that the ­cracks ­are tho­rough­ly ­cleaned.

Prepare the Surface: Use a ­garden ­hose ­to ­clean ­off any ­excess ­dust in ­the ­area. ­Scrub ­the as­phalt ­with a ­clean­ing ­agent ­to re­move ­any ­oil or ­grease ­spills. ­Rinse ­the ­area ­with wa­ter ­and al­low it ­to ­dry com­plete­ly.

Apply Crack Sealer: Once ­the ­cracks ­are ­cleaned ­and ­dry, ap­ply ­a ­crack ­seal­er ac­cord­ing ­to ­the pack­age ­direc­tions. ­Make ­sure ­the ­seal­er ­fills ­the ­cracks com­plete­ly. ­If you’re ­un­sure ­about tack­ling ­the ­job your­self, con­sid­er ­hir­ing pro­fes­sion­als ­for as­sist­ance.

Let it Dry: Al­low ­the crack ­seal­er ­to dry ­for at ­least 24 ­hours. ­Dur­ing ­this ­time, it’s im­port­ant ­to fence ­off ­the re­paired ­ar­eas ­to pre­vent ­any dis­tur­bance.

Filling Depressed Areas of Asphalt

De­pres­sions ­in ­your as­phalt dri­veway ­can be un­sight­ly ­and lead ­to fur­ther dam­age ­if left un­ad­dressed. Fol­low ­these ­steps ­to fill ­de­pressed ­ar­eas ­in ­your dri­veway ef­fec­tive­ly.

Clean the Low Areas: Thor­ough­ly ­clean ­the low ­ar­eas ­in ­your as­phalt dri­veway ­be­fore fill­ing ­them. ­Re­move ­any dirt ­or de­bris ­by sweep­ing ­or us­ing ­a high-pres­sure ­hose. ­For oil ­or ­grease ­stains, con­sid­er ­using ­a clean­er ­to re­move ­them quick­ly.

Remove Standing Water: En­sure ­that ­there ­is no ­stand­ing ­wa­ter ­left ­in the ­de­pres­sions. ­Ap­ply­ing ­patch­ing ­ma­ter­i­als ­to a ­wa­ter­logged ­or ­damp ­sur­face ­will com­pro­mise ­the re­pair.

Fill the Depressions: Fill ­the ­de­pres­sions ­with as­phalt ­patch­ing ­ma­ter­i­al, ­en­sur­ing ­it ­reach­es ­the lev­el ­of the sur­round­ing ­sur­face. ­Use a ­met­al tam­per ­to ­make ­the ­filled ­area ­smooth ­and com­pact.

Allow for Drying: It ­typ­i­cal­ly ­takes ­around ­24 ­hours ­for ­the patch­es ­to dry com­plete­ly. ­Dur­ing ­this ­time, ­pre­vent ­any traf­fic ­on ­the re­paired ­ar­eas ­to en­sure ­a suc­cess­ful re­pair.

Fixing Crumbling Asphalt on Your Driveway

Crumbling asphalt is a sign of significant deterioration and requires immediate attention. Follow these steps to fix crumbling areas on your driveway.

Address Cracks and Depressions: Before fixing the crumbling asphalt, it’s essential to repair any existing cracks and depressions. Follow the previous sections on crack repair and filling depressions.

Repair Crumbling Areas: Once ­the ­cracks ­and ­de­pres­sions ­are ad­dressed, ­you ­can pro­ceed ­to fix ­the ­crum­bling ar­eas. ­Con­sult ­with a ­re­li­able con­trac­tor ­who ­can pro­vide ­the nec­es­sary re­pair ­ser­vices. ­They ­may rec­om­mend spot ­re­pairs, re­sur­fac­ing, ­or com­plete re­place­ment ­based ­on ­the con­di­tion ­of your dri­veway.

Seal Your Driveway: ­After re­pair­ing ­the ­cracks, ­de­pres­sions, ­and ­crum­bling ar­eas, ­it’s cru­cial ­to seal ­your as­phalt dri­veway. ­Seal­ing ­helps pro­tect ­the sur­face ­from fur­ther dam­age ­and ex­tends.

How to Seal Your Asphalt Driveway

Sealing your asphalt driveway is the final step in the repair process. It provides a protective layer that enhances durability and appearance. Follow these steps to seal your driveway effectively.

  • Prepare the Surface: Before applying the sealant, ensure that the surface is clean of any oil, dirt, grease, or debris. Use a broom to collect as much debris as possible. For oil stains, consider using an oil stain primer before sealing.
  • Apply the Sealant: Stir ­the seal­ant ­thor­ough­ly ­to en­sure ­prop­er mix­ing. ­Ap­ply ­the seal­ant ­to each sec­tion ­of ­the as­phalt ­using ­a broom ­or squeeg­ee. ­Make ­sure ­the seal­ant ­is ­even­ly ­spread, ­and ­any weath­ered ­ar­eas ­soak ­in ­the seal­ant.
  • Allow for Curing: Let ­the seal­ant cure ­for ap­prox­i­mate­ly 24 ­hours ­be­fore al­low­ing ­any ve­hi­cles ­to drive ­over it. ­Dur­ing ­this ­time, en­sure ­the sealed ­ar­eas ­are blocked ­off ­to pre­vent dis­tur­bance.

Professional Asphalt Repair

If ­your dri­veway ­has ex­ten­sive dam­age ­or re­quires re­sur­fac­ing ­or re­place­ment, ­it’s ­best ­to hire ­our pro­fes­sion­als ­at Great West As­phalt ­out ­in Reno Ne­va­da. ­They ­have ­the ex­pert­ise, equip­ment, ­and ma­ter­i­als ­to han­dle com­plex re­pairs ef­fec­tive­ly.

Conclusion

Repairing your asphalt driveway yourself can save you money and extend the life of your driveway. By addressing cracks, depressions, and crumbling areas promptly, you can prevent further damage and maintain a functional and attractive driveway. Whether you choose to tackle the repairs yourself or hire professionals, regular maintenance is key to a long-lasting and well-maintained asphalt driveway.