Winter asphalt maintenance must include patching potholes. A couple of months ago we covered Pothole Patrol: Spotlight On Cities That Give You A Way To Report Dangerous Asphalt but what are you doing about your blacktop? Having a gaping hole on your driveway or parking lot is just as dangerous to passers-by, vehicles, and snow removal equipment. As if that is not enough, the costly damage to your pavement from snow, ice, freeze-thaw cycles, shovels, and plows will bring a frighteningly high spring repair bill. There is an easy fix, no worries, here’s what to do!
Cold Asphalt Patch is easy to use for anyone: homeowner, property manager, or sealcoating professional. This is not your old-school patching potholes material; this is state-of-the-art and engineered to last. Plus it’s a winter asphalt maintenance task that can be completed no matter the outside temperature.
Equipment Needed
- Chisel or Large Flat-Head Screwdriver
- Hammer
- Coarse Gravel (not round, pea gravel)
- Cold Asphalt Patch
- Plywood
Already you can see this is a job that doesn’t require you to have all kinds of specialized equipment! However, an asphalt concrete saw can certainly make step 2 easier.
5 Steps For Applying The Patch
- Clear out ice and debris – Take out any garbage and chunks of ice. Remember, if you leave chunks of ice, when it melts you’ll be left with an air pocket and a collapsing, sinking repair job come spring.
- Chisel the edges – You’re aiming for straight up-and-down edges and if you can, to make turn the hole into a square to get the best result in patching potholes.
- Add gravel as needed – If the hole is deeper than 2 inches, and has soft spots, add coarse gravel, and compact to repair the foundation. Winter asphalt maintenance doesn’t mean you ignore the basics of protecting the base of your blacktop.
- Pour the cold asphalt patch – Pliable in the bag, this will quickly set hard as a rock. You want to slightly overfill the area to allow for the next step.
- Tamp down and compact – If you don’t have a vibrating plate, just lay plywood over the area and drive over it.
It’s all too easy to ignore winter asphalt maintenance, but patching potholes doesn’t take long, and saves you a fortune in the long run. Leaving a hole allows water and ice to erode even more of the blacktop and its foundation, making for a very expensive spring repair or even replacement. Cold asphalt patch is easy to use and doesn’t demand any expensive, fancy equipment, so why take the chance of injuring a passer-by or even yourself! Get out there with the cold asphalt patch for patching potholes and bring your winter asphalt maintenance up to speed.
Go in-depth on sealcoating, crack repair, and other asphalt maintenance business topics in the Asphalt Kingdom Build Your Own Business Blueprint. Access the blueprint here.
