Whether you own a commercial building or a private residence, it is vital that the driveway is in good repair, smooth to drive on, and welcoming to visitors. If you need some blacktop driveway repairs or other paving services, follow these steps to make it happen. If the list looks daunting, consider calling us to handle it for you.

Gather Your Materials

Start by deciding what you are trying to repair; do you have potholes, cracks, or sinkholes? Some of these are easier to fix than others, but larger versions are better handled by the blacktop driveway repair professionals.

Here’s a list of the items you might need:

• Asphalt patching material (potholes and deep sinkholes)
• Crack patch (alligator cracks and shallow sinkholes)
• Asphalt tamper (potholes)
• Asphalt squeegee (crack repairs)

Prepare the Surface

Working with asphalt repair materials can be a messy job, though some property owners are up to the task. If the following steps aren’t something you want to tackle, we at All County Construction are happy to do all the repairs for you. However, for people who are ready to get dirty, here are the procedures for preparing the surface:

• Remove all vegetation from the area being repaired
• Eliminate dust or debris in the area, which will hinder adhesion
• Make sure the surface is completely dry

Patching Potholes

Start by checking the depth of the pothole and whether you can see all the way to bare dirt at the bottom. If the hole is more than 4 or 5 inches deep, fill it with more dirt or gravel to avoid needing a lot of patching material. Then pour the patching material into the hole. Put in an extra inch or two to ensure you’ll have enough after you tamp it down. Start pounding until the surface is flush.

Repairing Cracks

Using your asphalt crack filler, pour a good layer along each of the cracks. Use the squeegee to spread the material over the cracked area with about a foot of overspread around the perimeter.

Blacktop Driveway Repair for Sinkholes

If the sinkhole is less than 2 inches deep, use the crack repair material to fill it. For holes deeper than 2 inches, follow the procedures for the pothole patching method, except don’t add fill material to the bottom.

At All County Construction, we know some property owners like to tackle big projects. But if you don’t have time, materials, or the desire to get dirty, we can help. Give us a call at (315) 589-8661 or contact us on our website.