Repair Techniques for 5 Types of Potholes and Related Damages

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A pothole can render your driveway unsafe and unattractive. Fortunately, repairs are typically possible on an asphalt drive. 

1. Surface Damage

Damages that later develop into potholes typically start small, usually as a depression or small crumbling divot in the paving. You can prevent the full formation of a pothole by repairing the surface damage before it becomes worse. Your repair service can clean out the low spot or divot. They then apply a hot asphalt patch, which bonds with the paving into a permanent repair. If there are many small surface damages, then sealcoating may be applied to help cover and protect the drive. 

2. Shallow Potholes

Shallow potholes are those that have taken out a chunk of the paving but don't yet extend into the gravel base below the paving. These can be patched quite simply using the same hot asphalt technique that is used for surface damages. Your repair technician will first clean the rubble from the hole, then they will apply the hot patching compound.

3. Deep Potholes

A deep pothole extends well into the gravel base material of the driveway. These typically have a lot of rubble in the bottom and the wet season will almost always have standing water in the bottom. The repair technician must clean out and dry the pothole, and then new gravel is added and tamped down to repair the damaged base. Only after this is done can a hot patch be applied to fill the hole. 

4. Wide Damage

Width can also affect the ideal repair technique. Wide potholes, whether shallow or deep, are more likely to have a failed patch. One way your repair service will combat this issue is by cutting out the entire section of damaged asphalt. This allows them to address any hidden issues with the base by simply rebuilding it and then reapplying fresh, undamaged asphalt on top. Although more involved than a spot patch, it is still less expensive than replacing the entire driveway.

5. Cracks

Cracks are the precursors to potholes, but they can also form as a result of potholes and spread out radially from the initial hole. Cracks surrounding a pothole must be cleaned out and filled with a flexible asphalt patching compound. A fresh sealcoat is then typically applied to help smooth out the colour and to provide additional protection against weathering. 

Contact an asphalt repair service if you spot any damages on your asphalt driveway. 

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