When it gets too cold, like in January that we expect in Dallas, things just freeze, contract, crack and crumble. Of course, we’re talking about asphalt pavement. Asphalt is the most durable paving material out there, but we confuse that with indestructibility, leading to skipped maintenance runs on our asphalt surfaces. No TLC, and your asphalt driveway will literally start to sulk (It’s called asphalt slippage and poor paving!).
Conventionally, crack filling is best applied to active & wide cracks, during late summer or in the fall. If an asphalt paving contractor is experienced enough, they can also take on a winter crack filling job. That is why you’re getting these tips from the best contractor in town, Prime Asphalt!
Tip #1: Route Your Cracks
Clean the cracks wider than 1/4th-inch using a blower, then bring in the crack router. This piece of equipment looks like a boxed lawnmower with a groove cutter on its underside to give the cracks a smooth surface area. Use the blower again to dust off the debris. It helps with adhesion later.
Tip #2: Coarse Sand Filling
If the crack is deeper than wide, route as is standard and pack the base with some coarse sand. The trick keeps the molten crack filler in the grooved basin without leaking into the crack. It also helps add strength to the crack base.
Tip #3: Regulate the Temperature
You either have a crack filler Melter or a direct-fire heater. Whatever the case be, once the crack filler (rubberized in this case) has melted & reached up to 350F, turn off the temperature regulator. If you skip this step, the molten rubber will start to crystalize, which is why your winter crack filling fails horribly.
Tip #4: Blow Torch & Squeegee
These tools make crack filling fun. Any valve feed blocks or spills over your crack filler Melter can be easily fixed with a blow torch. The squeegee performs the function of scooping and leveling puddles of filler.
Tip #5: Choose the Right Filler
The trick is to know what filler to apply where. Liquid crack fillers are okay for small-scale residential driveway crack fixing. The direct-fire rubberized crack filler is the most widespread in use. It’s ideal for airport tarmac, parking lots, racing blacktops, & industrial pavement. The third kind is the oil-jacketed crack filler used by municipalities for longitudinal cracks running for miles.
Bonus #: The Conga Line Method
This is another time-saving technique the experts apply in winters when the job needs to be done fast to allow for daylight warmth for crack filler curing. The router operator leads the procession with the leaf blower in tow, followed by the sand layer & crack filling. After a while comes the blotting layer using talcum powder, lime, sand, or pulverized limestone. Blotters are needed to avoid filler tracking under vehicles.
If you have some expanding cracks on your Dallas pavement, parking lot, or driveway, and you wish them repaired this winter. All you need to do is get in touch with Prime Asphalt in Texas, and request a free estimate.
