One of my goals with these articles is to make them straight forward and easy to understand. This allows people with different backgrounds and experience levels to benefit from them.
This article will discuss why it is important to crack seal your asphalt driveway in a timely manner. Feel free to check out my other articles and how to videos on my website. My goal is to add value to you and help you understand why doing the proper maintenance will save you money in the long run.
Why do I need to crack seal my driveway?
I wish it could be avoided, but if you have an asphalt driveway and live in a colder climates, I would count on your driveway cracking. If you are interested, you can check out my other article for reasons why asphalt pavements crack.
Once asphalt cracks it is important the cracks are sealed in a timely manner. Cracks in asphalt give a direct path for water to reach the base aggregate layers. Once the water reaches the base it can start to weaken the layer which will reduce the amount of support it provides for the asphalt pavement. Asphalt pavement is a flexible layer, and it needs a strong base layer to perform the way it is supposed to. If the support is weakened the pavement can deteriorate rapidly.
The water in the base aggregate and pavement layer will also expand and contract during freeze thaw cycles. This will put extra stresses on the pavement and can speed up the deterioration. Water in the cracks can also deteriorate the bond between the asphalt cement (e.g. the glue) and the aggregate. This can cause the crack to spall and become wider. Cracks can also start to spall and widen from vehicles driving over them.
Sealing the cracks with a quality flexible sealer helps keep water out and slows down the deterioration of the cracks and pavement. Overall, crack sealing is probably the most cost-effective treatment you can do to extend the life of your pavement. Don’t delay. It is a lot cheaper if you do the proper maintenance at the right time.