The longer you can prevent potholes the more profitable and accessible your pavement will be.
However, with inclement weather and heavy traffic, avoiding potholes can often feel like an uphill battle. Luckily, we can offer some easy ways to help protect your pavement.
Here are three tips to prevent asphalt damage and potholes.
Potholes always seem to appear out of nowhere. However, that’s not actually the case. In order for a pothole to grow, there needs to be damage to the pavement already.
This damage can take multiple different forms. It could something as small as a hairline fracture or large crack. As soon as you notice imperfections or damages in your asphalt you should schedule repairs.
Asphalt can be negatively affected in a couple of different ways. The first way is through corrosive substances. Oil and gasoline are particularly dangerous for asphalt.
When oil is allowed to stay on the pavement it interacts with the mixture and softens it. This makes the asphalt a lot weaker and more susceptible to damage from rain, snow and cars.
The second way asphalt is damaged is through cold spells. If the pavement is not sealed well water is able to run into the cracks. When it gets cold enough the water will freeze, expand and break the asphalt.
Once the asphalt is damaged it doesn’t matter what caused it. All that matters is that you schedule the repairs fast. The longer there are weaknesses in the pavement the bigger the damage will become.
A pothole won’t stop growing all on it’s own. Instead, as more time passes it will continue to expand and become more dangerous for the vehicles on the road.
The best preventative step you can take is to add extra protection to your asphalt at the time of its installation. This is when your pavement is in its best condition, so it is also the smartest time to add a preservation coat as well.
This preservation layer is called a sealing coat. It goes on the pavement after it’s already been finished. It helps close off any small pockets or holes where water or other liquids might enter.
It’s a cost effective solution that will lengthen the life of your pavement.
As a driver, few things are worse than running into a pothole. It can ruin a perfectly good day and actually cause damage to your car or body.
Excessive potholes can easily drive people away. Talk to our team at Go Pave Utah to learn more tips to prevent potholes in your pavement. It’s never too late to start!
