Asphalt driveway repair DIY
Asphalt driveways are usually durable, but you need repair and maintenance them from time to time. This is especially true if you live in colder climates or areas that receive a lot of freeze-thaw cycles throughout the winter months. The most common repairs are cracks and holes. You can repair cracks and holes in the entrance of your home yourself and save money. It’s also a good idea to pave its entry every few years to move on looking good.
Crack sealing
- Fill any cracks in your entry as soon as possible.
- Sweeping the area with a shop broom to remove all loose material around a small crack.
- Fill the crack with caulking compound asphalt base and a caulking gun.
- Completely fill the crack and tamp the sealant with a table. Larger cracks more than ½ inch wide need a little more work.
- Remove all loose asphalt around the crack with a chisel and hammer.
- Sweep all debris from the crack. Spray the area around the crack with a garden hose.
- The area must be clean to properly seal the patch.
- If the crack is deep, fill the bottom with ½ inch of the top of the entrance.
- Using an asphalt cold patch, this is available in most hardware stores.
- Cold patch applied with a trowel according to the instructions in the bucket.
- Tamp the patch with a piece of wood and leave the patch cure.
Repair holes
Wipe away all debris and asphalt hole. They should also cut evenly around the hole using a chisel and hammer. By doing this you ensure you apply the patch to a solid area. Fill the hole halfway with cold patch asphalt patch and tamp the end of a table. Add more cold patch into the hole until the patch is slightly above the entrance. Place a piece of plywood at least ¾ inch thick on the head and drive the wheels of the car slowly over the board a few times to pack the patch.
Resurfacing
Apply sealant to the road to give it a fresh new look. See the weather reports and plans to seal the entry in a dry weekend. Sweep with a stiff broom entry store and then rinse with a garden hose. You want to remove all debris and dirt before you start to resurface.
Spread the sealer with a squeegee, available at most hardware stores. Pour a small part of sealant at the entrance and spread the sealant evenly with the squeegee. Areas move from side to side and then down. When you begin a new area, mix the sealer to the previous area. This will give a uniform coating. Place cubes in front of your driveway when you finish so that no one goes in the driveway for 24 hours.