Excessively cracked/damaged pavement can cause severe issues if not properly fixed. Here are a few solutions to common paving problems you might be facing and how you can keep your driveway or parking lot from cracking and/or experiencing other various common paving problems.
Paving Problem #1: Cracking
The most common pavement issue in 2022 and in the years prior is cracking. Any paved driveway or parking lot is prone to cracking and other various problems due to various reasons such as poor installation, prolonged storage of heavy machinery/vehicles, old age, or even invasive plants or tree roots. Cracks that are under ¼” wide are usually signs of normal driveway use and are not indicators of deep damage to your pavement. Smaller cracks can usually be fixed by patching, but larger cracks require more detailed repairs. Talk to a Pro-Pave paving expert today if you have any questions or are concerned about cracks in your pavement. The sooner you take action to fix cracks in your driveway or parking lot the better!
Paving Problem #2: Tire Marks
Did one of your vehicles leave a black imprint/stain on your driveway? Have you seen similar imprints left by other cars in your parking lot? On asphalt road surfaces, skid marks are usually the result of bituminous oils in the asphalt. These oils are heated because of the friction of braking or accelerating and rise to the surface, leaving dark marks. This kind of mark on asphalt can last for months or even a year or two if they are particularly dark and the roadway is not traveled on frequently. On concrete surfaces, these marks result from the deposition of tire compounds onto the surface of the roadway.
Do not worry if you have skid marks on your driveway or in your parking lot, you can get rid of them! Apply a degreaser and let it soak into the skid marks without drying. Reapply to keep the area damp. After about 5-10 mins of soaking scrub the marks with a stiff-bristle brush. Next, you’ll want to spray this off with a power washer and repeat if necessary.
Paving Problem #3: Depressions
Depressions are low areas of pavement that do not penetrate the asphalt and they are typically caused by poor compaction during the paving process. If not fixed quickly, the water and debris that typically collect in depressions can wear on the asphalt surface and weaken its integrity. A temporary fix for minor depressions is a simple asphalt patch on top of the existing pavement. Permanent repair of asphalt depressions requires that the affected area be removed, the poor sub-grade be replaced, and a full-depth patch be applied over the repaired subgrade.
Our Services
Looking for a new asphalt parking lot or have questions on aftercare? Pro-Pave, Inc. is a premier commercial concrete and asphalt paving company serving general contractors, property managers, and HOAs in the Mid-Atlantic. We are Class A-licensed, VDOT-certified, and fully bonded/insured for jobs of all sizes.
We work with many commercial clients, including federal, state, and local governments; commercial property owners; K-12 schools; higher education institutions; military groups; retail stores; and more.
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