Patching Asphalt Driveway

[rghilliard]

I'm repairing some problem spots in my asphalt driveway before I seal it. This is my first time to do this. I thought I would ask here before looking for an on topic forum somewhere else. I have two long medium to large cracks averaging maybe 1/2" and 3/4". The smaller one is where the asphalt meets the aggregate concrete outside my garage and the larger one is basically a seam in the driveway. The larger one is about 2" wide and about 1/2" to 3/4" deep for about at foot and about 1/2"-3/4" everywhere else. Products vary by company, but basically most of them break down as follows:

1. Small crack filler, basically a liquid for cracks up to 1/2".
2. Trowelable crack filler for cracks up to 1".
3. Cold patch.

My gut is to go with the trowelable crack filler. I'm worried that if I use cold patch, it will be too little product and it will not hold. I guess I could use cold patch at the one wide spot and trowelable crack filler everywhere else. A product like "driveway medic" or "pli-stix" is another option. They both have good reviews on Amazon. Any opinions?

 

[Guest]

The cold patch won't work (it never does ) and is always a temporary, and short-term, fix. The fillers should give you better time frame results, but will be visible, if that matters.

Take a look at the Sika line (http://www.sikacorp.com) and see if they have anything available. They make products for concrete, bridges, freeways, roofing, etc. and I use their SikaFlexSL (IIRC) for mastic joints. It is a fantastic product, and they seem to be a great company.

Hope that helps!

 

[rghilliard]

Thanks for the info. I was leaning towards the filler. Pli-stixs look like it may be a better grade of filler, but more trouble to use. Of course, I would prefer more trouble in the short run than in the long run. I had also thought about Driveway Medic or a similar fabric product. It appears to basically cover the problem area, but since the seams I am trying to fill go all the way to the edge, I'm worried water would still get under it and do further damage. Plus, it may be the worst looking method. I guess I could fill the crack, then cover it with a Driveway Medic type product after it cures. That might give the longest lasting repair.

Would concrete with black pigment in it be a good alternative?

 

[Guest]

Asphalt "flexes" and concrete is rigid. Not really a great option, especially if you are in an area of expansion/contraction extremes.

 

[rghilliard]

Thanks, you have been a really big help. A Sears store near me is closing all this stuff out and has it for half off, so I decided now would be a good time to bump this up a few spots on my to do list.

 

[svenpup]

I spent 5 years building tennis courts working for the most meticulous contractor I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. We used latex modified cement materials for patching asphalt courts (mix of portland cement, sand, latex additive). These were permanent patches.

His philosophy was to never use coal tar sealers on asphalt for exactly the expansion/contraction reason. You are actually causing the surface to wear out faster by sealing with coal tar every year.

The best thing to use for sealing (and blackening) would be a heavy duty latex paint material, which is exactly what tennis courts are surfaced with. These materials are elastic enough to move with the asphalt. We used Plexipave by California Products. This stuff isn't specifically made for auto traffic, but then either is coal tar. I can't imagine it would hold up any worse and would probably be better (and without the negative side effects).

 

[Durk]

Asphalt "flexes" and concrete is rigid. Not really a great option, especially if you are in an area of expansion/contraction extremes.

True, and the weak support from the asphalt on either side probably means a 1" or 2" concrete finger inside the crack would break every time a car went over it. I don't think even rebar would help.

 

[rghilliard]

Thanks for the advice. I just wanted to update this thread. In addition to patching the seams I patched some damaged areas around the edges where crabgrass roots had damaged the surface when the asphalt was new. All my damage was just surface damage, none of it went all the way through.

This was my first time to do this so I tried a couple different things to see which holds up best. On one side I used a trowelable patch that came in a powder that you mix with water similar to sanded grout. On the other side I mixed liquid (asphalt emulsion) crack filler with sand to the consistancy of cake frosting. The latter actually blends in better than the former after sealing. It was also cheaper. Both actually look better than I had expected. Time will tell which holds up better.