How to Repair an Asphalt Driveway

Sealing a driveway doesn't significantly prolong its life, but promptly filling cracks and holes and cleaning up oil spills do. Although you would typically handle fixes in the summer when you apply sealer, winter is the best time to fill cracks--and when it comes to most driveway repairs, there's no time like the present.

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Cold-patch Blacktop
• Driveway Cleaner
• Oil-spot Primer
• Air Compressor Or Garden Hose With Nozzle
• Broom
• Brush Or Squeegee Applicator
• Iron Rake
• Shovel Or Trowel
• Stiff Broom
• Putty Knife
• Acrylic Driveway Sealer Or Filler
• Caulking Gun
• Putty Knife
• Scrap Plywood
• Shop Vacuum
• Tamper Or 4-by-4
• Rubberized asphalt-emulsion crack filler
• Ice chipper, lawn-edging tool or spade

Cleaning the driveway

1. Use an ice chipper, a lawn-edging tool or a spade to scrape grass or weeds off the driveway and out of cracks.

2. Remove any loose asphalt from damaged or cracked areas with a blast of water from a garden hose or with compressed air.

3. Brush off all debris with a broom.

4. Scrub the driveway with diluted driveway cleaner to remove all dirt and oil film. Repeat as necessary to remove oil stains, and apply an oil-spot primer on any remaining stains.

5. Hose the driveway with as much pressure as possible. Start on the uphill and rinse toward the sides.

6. Use a shop vacuum to remove all loose debris from cracks. These must be very clean and dry before filling.

7. Let the driveway dry thoroughly before moving to the next step.

Making repairs

8. For cracks 1/8 to 1/2 inch (3 to 12 mm) wide, use rubberized asphalt-emulsion crack filler, applied with a caulking gun or poured. Avoid getting the filler on the surface. Smooth it with a putty knife.

9. For a very wide crack or pothole, shovel in packaged cold-patch blacktop, leveling large areas with an iron rake. Compact the material with a rented tamper or the end of a 4-by-4. Add more material until the hole is slightly overfilled. Cover it with scrap plywood and drive over it.

Filling and sealing

10. Mist the driveway with water. Then pour a ribbon of acrylic driveway sealer or filler 1 foot (30 cm) wide across the driveway. Spread the strip to a width of 3 to 4 feet (about 1 m) with a brush or squeegee applicator.

11. Remove all excess sealer, using the brush or squeegee and pulling toward you. Work your way down the driveway.

Tips & Warnings

• Undercut the edges of a pothole with a cold chisel and mason's hammer.
• For cracks more than 1/2 inch (12 mm) wide, stuff in a nonporous foam backer rod until the crack is only as deep as it is wide.
• Wear eye protection such as goggles when cleaning, chiseling or hosing the driveway.

[bDsgn403]

on 12/8/2008 There are permanent cold asphalt products available today that do not require the pothole to be cleaned and dryed with a shop vac. This video makes fun of how quick and easy it can be to repair a pothole in your driveway: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6O3XrGLVy8

[jscawn]

on 12/31/2007 HELP. I have followed the manufacturer's instructions and the repair keeps on cracking open. I have tried both the cold patch and asphalt emulsion.
The cracks are long (15') and about 1/4" deep but not wide at all.

on 1/6/2006 Using urethane polymer materials to repair and restore asphalt is fast becoming the standard for long term pavement preservation. With urethane polymer repairs lasting in excess of 10 years plus, asphalts serviceable life span can be greatly extended with one application. Rather than using short term quick fix asphalt materials and sealers year after year. Modern products, such as FloMix, come in convenient to use kits and can be applied by the do-it-yourselfer or contractor with equal ease and simplicity.

on 11/22/2005 The tip of using sand in crack sealant it absolutely wrong. You do not want ANY incompressible material such as sand in the cracks, they must be allowed to expand and contract as the sealant is formulated to do. Don't mess with success.
The article is correct in that repairing potholes & cracks will significantly improve the life of your pavement but incorrect in stating sealcoating will not. All should be done together for optimal pavement life. Also the article does not mention hot crack sealants (375 degrees) and hot asphalt (325 degrees) are not generally available to a homeowner and thus should be viewed realistically as being a temporary "surely better than nothing" fix until it can be professionally done.

on 11/22/2005 FOR ALL SIZE CRACKS AND HOLES: POUR HEAVY DUTY DRIVEWAY SEALER INTO CLEANED OUT CRACKS,THEN POUR CLEAN SAND AND USE A STIFF DRIVEWAY BRUSH TO BLEND THE MIX AND SMOOTH. NEXT DAY YOU WILL HAVE A ROCK HARD FILLING. THEN SEAL ENTIRE DRIVEWAY