Driveways are under constant attack from weeds, sun, rain, vehicles, old age and general wear and tear. If you have an asphalt driveway, it may at first seem difficult to repair, as asphalt is normally applied hot when new.
However, you can repair asphalt (often misspelled ashfelt) with paint on bitumen products that you apply cold. Cement and concrete can also be used for bigger repairs. You can match the original textured finish, by adding similar sized aggregate (stones) to the bitumen and cement as necessary.
Topics:
Tools:
Materials:
Most driveways at some point suffer from weeds, cracks, holes, subsidence and wear. It may seem daunting at first, as the driveway ages and starts to break up and turn to gravel. The secret to prolonging the life of an asphalt driveway is easy preventive maintenance, restoring it to its former glory, and not letting it deteriorate…
As an asphalt driveway ages, the stone chippings start to lift, the driveway wears and can start to break up, turning it into loose gravel. As moss starts to grow, this further accelerates the process.
An asphalt driveway consists of 5% asphalt and 95% aggregates (stone, sand and gravel). Bitumen paint can be used to prevent the stone chippings from lifting, gluing the stones back into place and filling all the small gaps that have started to appear. To repair, we need to:
For a more detailed account on how to go about this, please read my article on How to Repair Asphalt – Painting (Old Age, Wear and Tear):
As an asphalt driveway ages, cracks and holes can start to appear. These cracks and holes start to fill with dirt and debris, and seeds from weeds start to grow.
The weeds need to be removed and the holes filled to prevent more weeds appearing.
For a more detailed account on how to go about this, please read my article on How to Remove Weeds & Repair an Asphalt Driveway or Path:
Cracks and holes can appear, as the driveway settles with age. Old weeds that have since died off can leave cracks and holes. Roots can cause the tarmac surface to expand and crack.
The area needs to be cleaned and inspected. If there is no obvious cause, fill the holes and cracks with bitumen, to prevent weeds taking root. It will also prevent the edges breaking up and deteriorating further. For bigger cracks and holes, mix some aggregate (stones) in with the bitumen.
For a more detailed account on how to go about this, please read my article on How to Repair Asphalt – Cracks and Holes:
Subsidence and overloading can have many causes. Heavy traffic, vehicles parked repeatedly in the same spot, ground movement, water erosion, etc. This can lead to unevenness in the driveway, water collecting, the surface breaking up, (or breaking away if it is near an edge).
If the ground is stable, you can start to fill the dip or hole.
If it is unstable, you need to prevent any further deterioration before filling the hole. This may involve building a wall to support the ground, or digging out the hole and backfilling with a more stable material (stone, rubble, concrete, etc).
Clean the area to provide good adhesion around the edge of the hole. Dependant on its size, fill with concrete, or bitumen mixed with stones.
For a more detailed account on how to go about this, please read my article on How to Repair Asphalt – Subsidence and Overloading:
(Opens in a new window / tab)