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Asphalt Driveway Crack Fillers
Asphalt Driveway Crack Fillers can Extend the
Life of your Asphalt Driveway
By: Mark J. Donovan
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Asphalt driveway crack fillers
can protect your driveway from rapidly crumbling. As I was walking in a
large asphalt paved driveway today, and noticing all of the cracks in it, I
was once again reminded of the importance of periodically sealing a driveway
and repairing asphalt driveway cracks as they occur. Asphalt driveway
sealers help protect the asphalt from the aging effects of the sun and from
water damage, and typically only need to be reapplied every few years.
Driveway cracks however can form at any time, and as a result, an asphalt
driveway filler should be used to fill the cracks as soon as they are
observed.
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The smaller the cracks are, the
easier they are to repair and the less damage that they will cause to your
driveway. If left un-repaired, water will penetrate under the driveway and
begin to erode the soil under the asphalt. In time, the asphalt will sink in
where the soil has been washed away.
If the water freezes underneath the asphalt driveway the asphalt can also
heave and then settle as the water unfreezes. In one winter, due to the
constant freezing an unfreezing of water, an asphalt driveway crack can very
rapidly grow in width and cause the surrounding area to break up.
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In addition, plants and tree
seedlings can also end up rooting in the asphalt driveway cracks. If left
unchecked long enough, the growing root systems of these plants and trees
can also begin to break down the asphalt driveway.
There are several different types and applicators of asphalt driveway crack
fillers to choose from and it is important to use the right type based on
the width of the crack. In general, however, asphalt driveway crack sealers
fall into two camps, cold applied asphalt emulsions and hot applied sealers.
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The cold applied asphalt emulsions
which include polymers and latex additives are the most common types of asphalt
driveway crack fillers as they simply need to be poured or extruded into the
crack. For cracks less than 1/8 inch in diameter you can use a pourable jug
asphalt driveway crack filler. For cracks up to ½ inch in diameter use a
caulking tube of asphalt crack filler with a caulking gun. For wider cracks you
can use a trowel to spread the crack filler from a pail.
Hot applied sealers, on the other hand, are generally applied by professional
asphalt repair service companies. This said, Dalton Enterprises offers a do it
yourself hot applied asphalt driveway crack filler product. Their product, known
as Pli-Stix, is a rope type piece of elastomeric self leveling sealant that you
push into/over the asphalt crack and then melt into place with a propane torch.
For best results when repairing asphalt driveway cracks use a high quality
asphalt driveway crack filler. Higher quality asphalt fillers have longer life
times and include more solids in them. They are also more expensive however
their costs pale in comparison to having to replace the asphalt driveway.
Usually the fall season is the best time of year to repair asphalt driveway
cracks as the weather is still warm and it is usually drier. In addition, the
repairs should hold up well during the winter months where freezing water can
cause the most damage to your driveway.
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