The words “asphalt repair” sound daunting enough at first, but you don’t always have to call a professional contractor and prepare your wallet for the worst.
People usually see cleaning of asphalt driveways as hard, tiring, and time-consuming. What makes it so is the way they do it. First, they know a lot of things should be done.
They get confused with what to do first. Some think they can schedule their tasks in a daily manner. The truth is, repairing an asphalt driveway is just as easy as one, two, three, and four!
There are several do-it-yourself tips that one can follow for basic asphalt repair tasks, and we shall discuss a select few of them in this article.
1. Find out the exact reason for repair
Before starting any repair project, you must first get to the bottom of things. You should find out the reason why the asphalt needs to be repaired in the first place and ascertain the extent of the damage. Rainwater can severely damage your asphalt road.
Conversely, the sun’s rays could also do a great deal of damage. Some of the worst types of asphalt damage could result in potholes, which would require you to remove the saturated base material and re-pave the damaged area.
Since heavy machinery is often needed for such a job, extreme cases of Sydney Asphalt Repairs, we would recommend you to hire an asphalt repair professional.
2. Pull out weeds
Wear rubber gloves to avoid getting cuts and injuries from pulling weeds. Carefully pull out to get weeds roots by holding the weeds on their base. For strong root weeds, use gripping tools like pliers to pull out at least the part of the tough weeds that catch attention.
If it is hard to remove the roots of the weeds, carefully chip out surrounding of the root, when it is already around ½ to 1 inch wide, and 1/3 inch deep, smooth out the surface with a filler.
Also, use a chipper to smoothen pointed surfaces. Loose stones should be picked up. Use a broom to remove pebbles.
3. Get rid of soil and spots
To remove stains like oil or gas stains, the use of cleaner is advised. Water in high pressure can be used to wash away the detergent or cleaner residue.
Please ensure that the driveway is completely dry before moving to the next step. Remember that a pleasant-looking driveway can only add to the curb appeal of your home.
4. Periodically sealcoat asphalt
You should also consider having your asphalt seal coated periodically, perhaps every year, if you do it yourself and every 3-4 years if done with a professional. This could potentially double the lifespan of your asphalt.
Furthermore, the seal coating could help minimize the need for asphalt repair. Asphalt sealer is relatively inexpensive – in most cases, you don’t need to spend more than a dime per square foot to have it applied. Think of how affordable that could be compared to the costs of having asphalt repaired.
5. Find appropriate procedure to apply sealing
Aside from purchasing asphalt sealer, you should also be ready with your sealer broom and paintbrush. These pieces of equipment are necessary for the job at hand, as the act of applying the sealer sounds much easier than it is.
That’s not saying it’s a difficult job, though – you just have to use measured brush strokes when applying it. Arbitrarily applying the sealer will not produce desirable results. It is also important you apply the seal coat as quickly as working too slowly might cause it to dry up.
Moreover, you should look for sealers with the rubber compounds, which are more flexible and water-resistant, or insist that your asphalt repair contractor use such a sealer.
6. Use fillers for cracks
For small cracks, use asphalt-emulsion fillers and smoothen the surface. Use cold patches for cracks that are at least 1 inch wide. Pebbles or stones can be used to fill in most of the opening first.
Cement is another option, but this may take quite a while to completely dry. Cover the patch with plywood and drive it over. You can leave the plywood there as a protector until the patch is completely dry.
7. Immediately fix cracks when they appear
The moment you notice some cracks on the pavement, you shouldn’t waste much time either. You don’t want the ravages of time to join hands with the water and/or sun, thus resulting in even more damage.
Any cracks spotted should be sealed as soon as possible. If you are in doubt, you should always seek a contractor’s assistance and not take matters into your own hands. But you should take some time out to make sure your driveway is properly maintained.
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