Asphalt Cracks: Sealer Or Filler?
Asphalt Cracks: Sealer Or Filler?
Crack repair is crucial if you want to keep your asphalt pavement safe from premature deterioration. Cracks let water leak beneath the pavement and damage the foundation on which the pavement rests. The eroded foundation becomes incapable of supporting the pavement, allowing the asphalt to become potholed or suffer a cracking pattern called “alligatored asphalt.” However, repairing a crack by filling it with sealcoating is an exercise that is doomed to failure. Cracks in asphalt pavement need to be filled with the proper material, which is normally hot-pour rubberized asphalt.
Asphalt Cracks: Sealer Or Filler?
A quick review of the properties of asphalt and sealer may help you to better understand why sealcoating should never be used to repair cracks.
• When sealcoating dries, it forms a hard, thin shell on top of the asphalt. This shell is ideal for protecting the pavement underneath as it helps prevent automotive fluids, such as gas, transmission fluid and oil, from reaching the asphalt. Sealcoating also reduces damage to asphalt from UV radiation and oxidation.
• Since dried sealcoating is hard, it is not flexible. The asphalt around the crack will expand during hot weather and contract in cold weather, but the sealant will not be able to follow suit. When the asphalt recedes from the sealant, a crack will appear between the asphalt and the sealant, allowing water penetration. When the asphalt contracts, it can crush the sealant, and again a crack will appear.
Cracks should always be repaired before applying sealcoating. Since harsh winters can worsen any existing cracks dramatically before spring arrives, it is essential to have them filled during autumn months. This is especially important in areas that may see several freeze/thaw cycles during the winter or where snow and ice may accumulate on the pavement. Every freeze/thaw cycle can create additional stress on the cracks and cause them to grow, and the snow or ice will eventually melt, increasing the risk that water will enter through the crack and damage the foundation.
If you have cracks in your asphalt pavement, the experts at Dirtworks can repair them and help you winterize your pavement. We are a full-service asphalt paving company with more than 20 years of industry experience. We also provide excavation services and site work throughout the Cape Cod area. From building roads, parking lots and asphalt driveways to installing septic systems and excavating cellar holes, we have the expertise to do the job right at reasonable rates. We offer a complete line of asphalt-related services, including sealcoating and line striping.
Submit our online form to request a free estimate, or give us a call at 508-240-5541.
