Asphalt or blacktop driveways are simple to keep and can last for several year

Asphalt or blacktop driveways are simple to keep and can last for several years with the right attention. Here several time saving suggestions to keep your driveway in excellent condition, when you have an asphalt driveway.
1) A driveway in great condition will remain that way with appropriate care. It is a good thought to seal your asphalt driveway with a coal tar or emulsified asphalt sealer frequently. Some makes recommend sealing your asphalt driveway every few years, particularly in climates where there are severe weather conditions such as freezing winters and stifling hot summers. Usually see the instructions in the container before you being.

You must remove all dirt and debris, using a stiff broom and wire brush, to reseal an asphalt driveway. Don't use water to wash the driveway while the driveway should be absolutely dry before you start. Divide the driveway into sections about four feet by four feet in size. Then pour enough of the sealer to protect four-square feet of the driveway; then distribute the sealer using a long-handled squeegee or broom. Seal by sections, one section at the same time: spread, pour and re-position the sealant until the entire drive method is sealed. Some brands of sealer urge a second layer of sealer within 48 hours of the first application; assess your package for suggestions.

2) After your driveway is sealed, check it sporadically for cracks. To repair narrow cracks less-than?? inch broad, first clean-out all the loose gravel and debris using a wire brush or stiff broom. Don't use water or perhaps a high pressure hose as you'll want a driveway to seal the crack. Apply asphalt crack filler using a caulking gun, after all the debris is removed from the crack. Then make use of a trowel or perhaps a putty knife to smooth the compound and allow the caulking compound set. Be careful not to overfill the crack because it may bulge and grow, leaving a bigger problem than that which you began with. Seal each fixed crack with asphalt sealer, when the calking is dry.

3) To repair cracks wider than?? Inch, you will need to combine sand and blacktop sealer into a puttylike consistency in a throw-away aluminum pan for instance a pie plate. Make use of the paste to be packed by a trowel or putty knife into the crack and smooth it flush with the surrounding surface. Add more paste as-needed to level the patched crack, if the paste settles deeper into the crack. Once the crack is filled, seal each fixed crack with asphalt sealer.

4) Larger holes and cracks will need a cold mix asphalt - patching compound instead of the caulking compound. Before you start, read the instructions on the cold-mix asphalt bundle. To repair small potholes, dig out any loose paving, remove all debris and fill the hole with gravel to within four inches of the topmost part of the hole. Tap the filler using a piece of wood to pack it securely. With a trowel or spade, apply the cold-mix asphalt patch compound in one-inch layers. Pack each layer firmly and make use of the trowel to eliminate any air bubbles. Once the hole is filled level with the surrounding surface, scatter the surface with sand and drive a car back, garage crack filler and forth on the patch to pack it down. Pack and fill before the patch is level with the surrounding surface. Let the patch dry completely. Then coat the patch with liquid asphalt sealer.

In case the damage is very extensive, for instance a crack the width of the drive way or a hole bigger than 6 - 8 inches across, it is advisable to call in a professional asphalt team to utilize hot asphalt to fill the hole.