Blanchard

Get Paving Contractors to Fix This Type of Damage

Asphalt and pavement are designed to withstand many types of damage and last for years. However, even the best paving contractors in Blanchard, LA run into complications with their pavement that can be hard to manage. The following issues are among the most common that you’ll find with your asphalt and must be repaired as soon as possible by professionals who you can trust to do it right.

Problems With Alligator Cracks

Alligator cracks are one of the most common problems that you’ll notice with your driveway. Paving contractors typically find that these cracks appear when the structure of the asphalt starts to fail and spread a substantial level of these cracks throughout the surface. Often, the imperfections lie in the sub-grade but can also happen in the base to cause many issues with your asphalt.

For example, alligator cracks often resemble the skin of a gator stretched over the surface of your pavement. These cracks can, therefore, be very upsetting when they appear and require the help of a detailed repair expert to manage. You probably shouldn’t try to do DIY repairs yourself because the patches that you get from an asphalt repair shop aren’t going to be good enough for this situation.

That’s because the problem isn’t always a surface one – though it may sometimes be a surface concern. As a result, it is vital to get a full repair on your slab because the cracks may spread down into the sub-grade and base and become widespread in a way that can feel impossible to control. Thankfully, many different steps repair experts can take to help you out in this situation.

Running Into Problems With Slippage Cracks

These cracks are most commonly noticed shortly after you lay your asphalt because it is caused by new material slipping under an already-existing layer. Often, this problem is the most common when there is a lack of bonding in the asphalt and pavement, which can make the new top layers feel more flexible and make it more difficult to repair these issues without a lot of focused repair help.

You can identify these cracks by looking for a crescent look that is typically located where you just installed the new pavement. However, there is also a chance that you may spot signs of slippage cracks far from the spot where the pressure occurs. That’s because it is straightforward for the pavement to slip in a way that causes problems further down the slab, particularly near load-bearing issues.

Unfortunately, a surface patch is not a good enough repair for this situation. Again, the damage is caused by issues deep within the asphalt that requires a full-depth patch to manage. And after the patch has been applied, make sure that you take the time to get a paving contractor to add a tack coat to the surface of your driveway. Doing so is wise because it helps to prevent the slipping mentioned earlier.

Block Cracks May Cause Much Damage

Block cracks are a common issue in areas where weather changes are widespread. That’s because they usually occur when the water inside of the pavement expands and contracts with freezing and heating temperatures. This problem puts a lot of pressure on the sidewalk and can cause it to shrink in patches that cause it to crack off and create a somewhat chessboard-like pattern on the surface.

The good thing about block cracks is that they are often quite small and may be easy to patch by carefully sealing the cracks with more sealant. However, you may need to remove some large blocks, if they get severe enough, and pour all-new pavement where they once sat. Thankfully, block cracks are usually not full-depth problems and may only affect the immediate pavement surface.

As a result, these types of cracks may be some of the easiest for homeowners to fix without the help of paving contractors. However, lifting the massive slabs of asphalt off of the surface of the driveway may be a problematic process for many. Thankfully, professionals have lifting equipment that can minimize these concerns and ensure that no severe cracks occur that cannot be controlled.

The Spread of Potholes

Lastly, paving contractors can help you if potholes appear on your driveway and continue to worsen. Potholes are an issue because they are typically symptomatic of more widespread problems that may be hard to diagnose. For example, a pothole occurs if water or other types of weathering damage spreads through the surface of the asphalt and affects the base and sub-grade and their structure.

And while potholes often seem quite small on the surface, they penetrate all the way through the pavement in a way that can get water, dew, and other types of moisture to spread rampantly throughout the slab. This problem is one that can rapidly become an issue if you don’t get potholes repaired. Typically, once you get a single pothole in your driveway, you’re likely to see many more because underlying sub-grade and base issues are usually to blame.

And don’t think that potholes can be easily avoided when driving because they have a funny way of getting under a driver’s tires. And when they do, there’s a good chance that they can cause damage if they jar the vehicle’s suspension enough. Also, hitting these potholes can expand them and worsen their spread, triggering an even broader level of damage that may be hard to manage without help.

Don’t Let Asphalt Cracks Worsen

If you are noticing these types of pavement cracks on your driveway or sidewalks, you need to talk to paving contractors in Blanchard, LA to get the help necessary to manage them. Our experts at Ark-La-Tex Paving can help you out here. When you work with us, you get access to professionals who have spent years working with high-quality pavement repairs that keep your asphalt reliable and secure.