Maintaining the integrity of your parking lot is essential to avoiding costly asphalt repair services.
What Is Asphalt Crack Filling?
This vital pavement maintenance process fills pavement gaps that have developed on your pavement due to environmental factors, heavy traffic, and natural wear over time. When cracks are left untreated, it allows water and debris to penetrate the sublayers, leading to more significant damage, such as crocodile or fatigue cracking.
Crack filling starts with crews cleaning debris and moisture out of the crack, often with compressed air or a hot lance, then pouring or pressing a hot-applied rubberized sealant into it. The sealant blocks water from reaching the base and flexes with seasonal pavement movement, which slows crack growth and delays the need for more costly patching or resurfacing.
Why Asphalt Cracks And What Can You Do?
Cracks in asphalt typically form due to the expansion and contraction of the pavement caused by temperature fluctuations, traffic load, and exposure to chemicals or water. If not addressed, these gaps can quickly expand, resulting in more costly repairs. That’s where our crack filling and sealing services come in.
Crack Filler vs Sealcoating: What’s The Difference?
Crack filler and sealcoating protect pavement in different ways and at different scales. Crack filler is a targeted repair: crews clean individual cracks and fill them with a flexible, hot-applied or cold-applied sealant that keeps water from reaching the base and slows further damage.
Sealcoating is a surface treatment: crews spread a thin, liquid coating, usually coal tar or asphalt emulsion based, across the entire pavement to shield it from UV rays, oxidation, water, and fuel and oil spills.
Crack filler fixes specific openings in the pavement, while sealcoating guards the whole surface against weathering, and the two work best in sequence. Crews fill the cracks first, then apply sealcoat over the repaired surface, which gives the pavement a uniform, dark finish and extends its life.
Both methods are essential for maintaining your parking lot or roadway, preventing the need for a complete replacement.
Benefits of Asphalt Crack Filling for Commercial Properties
- Prevents water infiltration into the sublayers, reducing the risk of potholes and structural damage.
- Minimizes tripping hazards for pedestrians by eliminating surface cracks.
- Creates a smoother, safer surface for vehicles and visitors.
- Reduces the need for costly repairs, like rip-out and replacement or full resurfacing, by addressing cracks early.
Stop Cracks Before They Start! – Preventive Maintenance for Your Parking Lot by Royal Pavement Solutions
Regular maintenance is essential to prevent the need for extensive repairs. Routine inspections can help catch minor issues before they become more significant problems, such as crocodile cracking or potholes.
Combining crack filling with other maintenance services like asphalt patching, milling, and sealcoating can further protect your pavement and extend its lifespan.
Luckily, Royal Pavement Solutions, a commercial asphalt paving contractor in Islip, NY, has all the latest asphalt maintenance solutions to prevent cracking, potholes, ruts, and more.
In addition to filling, we can seal cracks at the surface or completely resurface your parking lot or roadway.
Ready to bust the cracks on your commercial asphalt? Contact us today to keep your commercial parking lot in top condition!
