Don’t Let Your Investment Slip Through the Cracks

In order to maximize the life of your asphalt driveway or parking lot, and protect your investment against deterioration, it is important to create a plan for maintaining your pavement that includes routine inspections and maintenance. Sealcoating is the first line of defense, followed by sealing cracks. First, let’s talk about the main causes of cracking.

What Causes Cracking?

  • Oxidation – as asphalt oxidizes, it loses the ability to flex when driven upon and becomes more brittle. Cracks typically first appear on higher traffic areas and along seams. These types of cracks are usually longer and straighter and can be easily sealed with rubber crack sealant.
  • Moisture – water can get in to the creases and crevices in the asphalt, and break down the paved surface over time. Drainage is a design and construction element that, when not considered, can allow water to pool and cause more damage over time.
  • Sun Exposure – the heat from the sun can break down the binding agent in the asphalt and cause the surface to be compromised.
  • Ground Movements – earthquakes and storms can cause the earth to shift, which moves the base layer and can result in voids in the sub-grade. Extreme heat and cool cause frost and thaw which also causes the ground to shift and the asphalt to expand and contract. Furthermore, changes in sub grade moisture content caused by heavy rain and droughts can cause the clay in the sub grade to expand and contract, which adds to the strain on the asphalt surface.
  • Construction Inadequacies – areas with heavy traffic will undergo more wear and tear, which can adversely affect the pavement structure if it was not designed to support such conditions.

What Can Be Done About Cracks?

Cracks between 1/8 of an inch and 2 inches can be sealed with a standard rubberized asphalt sealant. A regular maintenance program that includes sealing and crack sealing can slow down the rate of oxidation of the base layer and prevent moisture from entering the underlying layers, causing accelerated deterioration. If performed in an effective and timely manner, crack sealing is expected to extend pavement life and improve pavement performance.

Are the cracks in your pavement larger than 2 inches? Check out our post — When Crack Sealant Just Isn’t Enough

Let’s get started protecting your investment today.

When Crack Sealant Just Isn’t Enough

Crack sealing can help extend the life of pavement if done properly, but some cracks are just too large to fill with traditional asphalt crack sealant. Cracks larger than 2 inches wide require a more extensive repair process.

1. Asphalt Milling

We begin the repair by removing the top two inches of asphalt centered around the crack.

2. Filling the Cracks

After the area has been milled and cleaned, we fill the crack with traditional rubber asphalt sealant.

3. Installing NW-75 Pavement Underseal Membrane

After filling the cracks, a fabric called NW-75 is placed above the crack. This is the key component that makes our process work best. The fabric forms a membrane that minimizes surface water from penetrating pavement systems and provides a stress relief interlayer which inhibits the growth of reflective cracks.

4. Adding new Hot Mix Asphalt & Compaction

Finally, hot-mix asphalt is added on top of the fabric to fill the void, and compacted to to leave a smooth surface.

HOA Street Maintenance & Repair

One of the responsibilities of many homeowners associations is to ensure that their neighborhood roads are appropriately maintained. It is very important for homeowners to understand what their HOA fees are covering, and to know their money is being spent prudently.

Filling cracks, repairing potholes, and sealcoating can help protect the integrity of streets, and prolong the life of the asphalt.

HOA Street Management Services

  • Crack Sealing: Cracks allow water and grass to enter the base layer, and will eventually lead to potholes, and compromised base integrity.
  • Filling Potholes: Potholes are an inevitable part of life, especially in locations that experience extreme weather conditions such as cold and hot temperatures throughout the year. Filling potholes can provide a smooth ride through the neighborhood for all residents, and prevent water from entering the base layer and causing more damage.
  • Sealcoating: The surface of asphalt is porous, and susceptible to UV ray damage, oxidation, and deterioration from wear and tear. Sealcoating is designed to add a protective layer to extend the life of asphalt, and as an added benefit, it makes the surface look new again.

Maintaining your community’s roadways now will help save money in the future, and also provide a more enjoyable drive home. It is a good idea for HOAs to add maintenance costs into the HOA fees, and have a plan in place for the future. It may cost more now, but it will save money in the long-run, and prevention entire road reconstruction in 10 years when they are beyond repair.

We work with HOAs to set up a detailed HOA Maintenance Plan, and work within the allotted budget to maximize homeowner’s investments.

We work with HOAs to set up a detailed HOA Maintenance Plan, and work within the allotted budget to maximize homeowner’s investments.

Interested in meeting with us to get started on your HOA Maintenance Plan? Contact us below!