There are many reasons that your asphalt may be cracking — and it’s always best to keep some maintenance tips in mind.
Asphalt is a sticky, black and highly glutinous liquid, or semi-solid form of petroleum. Its primary use is for the construction of driveways and road and occasionally used to seal flat roofs, where it is used as the glue or binder mixed with combined particles to produce asphalt concrete. The most common occurrence of cracked asphalt happens when water seeps into the pavement through open cracks, and potholes occur. When the water freezes, expansion occurs thus widening the crack further. During warm weather, the iced water melts away leaving the cracks with open voids. A pothole emerges when the surrounding walls fall into the void.
How to Prevent Cracked Asphalt
As the majority of driveways in the US are composed of asphalt, it is necessary that your driveway looks at the least respectable, as it is one of the first thing guests will notice when visiting your house and first impressions are everything. There are methods which can be employed to prevent such cracks. A simple prevention method can be the use of sand instead of salt, during the winter periods where snow and ice are in abundance, and people tend to salt their driveways to speed up the thawing process. While this is effective in the short term, the constant use of salt can lead to the exertion of pressure on the asphalt leading it to crack, as it constantly freezes over. This will take its toll. Whereas with sand, the ice doesn’t disband, causing traction for driving allowing for easy accessibility without the damaging after effects.
Leave it to the Professionals
The notion of fixing one’s driveway can seem like a good idea, be it a DIY project or money saving procedure, but the long-term effects could end up costing you more than anticipated. One of the leading causes of cracked asphalt can be the poor installation of said product. Professional and credible contractors will ensure the proper base, a subbase constructed of crushed stone packed tightly with a sturdy layer placed over (aggregate layer) then laced over with asphalt leaving a smooth professional finish.
PTG Enterprises can help your parking lot go from drab to perfect!
If you want to protect your asphalt and ensure it has a long lifespan, choose PTG Enterprises for your sealcoating and asphalt maintenance needs. We offer commercial concrete, masonry, asphalt installation, repair, and paving throughout Baltimore, Harford, Anne Arundel, Howard, and P.G. Counties. If you are interested in hearing how we can help you, contact us online or give us a call at (410) 636-8777. For more tips and tricks, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Google+, and Flickr.
Tags: asphalt, Asphalt driveway, Asphalt Maintenance, Driveway maintenance, driveway repair
