Why Potholes Are Hazardous to Your Pavement’s Health
Why Potholes Are Hazardous to Your Pavement’s Health
If you want to annoy your visitors and expose yourself to potential lawsuits, allow your asphalt pavement to become ravaged by potholes. At best, drivers are going to wince and think unkind thoughts when they encounter a pothole. At worst, their cars will be damaged, and they will hold you responsible for the repairs. Pedestrians are not going to thank you, either. Cars driving through the potholes can splash water on them, or worse, they could stumble over a pothole and fall, injuring themselves. In addition to the problem of potential liability, you may also be shortening the life of your asphalt pavement by delaying the repair of a pothole.
Why Potholes Are Hazardous to Your Pavement’s Health And How To Fix Them
To understand why potholes are hazardous to the health of asphalt pavement, you must understand why potholes form. Although there are some rare instances of potholes developing as a result of other causes, almost all potholes are the result of water infiltration. Whether through a pothole or a crack, water leaks through the pavement and reaches the supporting foundation. Once there, it begins to chip away at the foundation, displacing materials and leaving gaps between the foundation and the pavement. Traffic then presses down on the unsupported pavement, weakening it until a pothole forms.
Like a small crack, a small pothole will continue to grow. This allows more water to penetrate and cause more damage to the foundation. As the amount of unsupported pavement increases, alligator cracking, additional potholes and large cracks develop. Your entire pavement can be destroyed in a relatively short time. Even if large expanses of your pavement have not yet developed major cracks, it may still need to be removed to repair your foundation.
Preventing and Repairing Potholes
Your first line of defense against potholes is proper maintenance of your asphalt pavement. Repair cracks quickly, apply fresh sealcoating when it is needed and remove automotive fluids that have leaked onto the pavement.
Should a pothole develop, have it repaired promptly. Repair methods vary, but possible methods include skin patching, saw and replace, full-depth patching and complete reconstruction. The smaller the pothole is, the easier it will be to repair, which saves you money now as well as later.
Contact Cape Cod’s Experts for Help
Dirtworks is a family owned local asphalt contractor with more than 20 years of experience. We offer a complete line of asphalt services, including pothole and crack repair, sealcoating, asphalt paving and parking lot striping. We also offer an extensive range of excavation, demolition and site work services. We have an exceptional reputation that we established by delivering quality work at competitive prices. If you wish to receive a free quote, you can call (508) 240-5541 or complete our online form.
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