Crack Filling

Crack Fill to Help Preserve your Asphalt Pavement

Meticulous surface preparation is the key to proper application.

Noticing a crack on your driveway or parking lot might not alarm you; however, it should raise a red flag and cause action to be taken.

Cracks cause damage to your driveway, parking lots, and roads because they allow water to seep below the pavement. In winter, as water freezes and thaws, it eventually expands the width and depth of the cracks. Once the water penetrates below the surface, the sub base begins to erode, compromising the foundation of the pavement. Compromised pavement eventually takes on the appearance of the skin of an alligator’s back. This “alligator cracking” eventually forms depressions and potholes. Once “alligator cracking” occurs to an area of pavement, simply filling the depression will not effectively fix the problem, since the sub base is compromised. Rip out and replacement of the area is the only solution.

One crack leads to the formation of many; therefore, applying hot rubber fill when cracks are first noticed is the key to maintaining your surface before costly repairs are necessary.

Sommerset Paving’s crack fill technique:

• In addition to the best materials available in the industry, the most important aspect for a quality outcome is the cleanliness of the area prior to product application. No expense is spared in area preparation. The industry’s leading debris cleaning blower system is used to clean dirt and debris from all cracks.
• Sommerset Paving only uses commercial grade hot rubber fill on all cracks ¼ inch or wider. Hot rubber fill is far superior compared to cold fill purchased at a local home improvement center.

Advantages Of Hot Rubber Crack Fill

• Flexes with temperature variations
• Adheres to asphalt because it is oil based
• Does not shrink in cold, keeping its bond to asphalt surface and preventing water penetration
• Does not track in home or business

Disadvantages Of Cold Rubber Crack Fill

• Not flexible, therefore the product cracks with temperature variations
• Does not adhere to existing asphalt
• Shrinks in cold, allowing water penetration
• Product remains sticky and tracks in on shoes, pets, and kids

Sommerset’s hot rubber crack fill system maintains consistent industry standards for temperature of product. Consistent temperatures guarantee that the integrity of the product remains the same throughout the project so that the hot rubber always binds properly to the asphalt.

Seal Coating Saves You Money!

Seal Coating

An asphalt driveway or parking lot is comprised of rock, sand, and asphalt emulsion; think of it as a binding glue, that holds the rock and sand together. A properly constructed driveway has a lifespan of 15-25 years if it is appropriately maintained.

As with paint aging on a house, many environmental factors cause asphalt to break down. Sun, wind, salt, snow plow blades, heat, and cold all work in concert to deteriorate asphalt. The reasoning behind seal coating your driveway is to prevent essential oils in the asphalt from evaporating causing the asphalt to become dry and brittle (oxidization.) When asphalt becomes dry and brittle, it results in cracks. Cracking leads to water penetrating the surface, which in turn causes expansion and contraction, thus eroding the sub base of your surface which allows the surface to crack. Cracks need to be addressed before they compromise an entire area of pavement leading to a costly repair.

To ensure that your asphalt pavement will have the maximum life span, routine maintenance needs to begin the year after your original installation. It’s then necessary to have the routine seal coating maintenance continued every 2-3 seasons. You will enjoy numerous benefits having this recommended routine maintenance done:

• Seal coating protects your asphalt from sun oxidation, standing water and motor oil
• Seal coating prevents the asphalt from becoming dry and brittle
• The cost of seal coating maintenance on a regular basis is much less expensive than the thousands of dollars that would need to be invested to have your asphalt paving re-done

Seal Coat acts as a flexible barrier coating, in turn, increasing the life span of your investment. Asphalt has the same chemical makeup as oil and gasoline, therefore, asphalt is attracted to these oils and will bond with them, causing the asphalt to crack and break down. Therefore, an environmentally-friendly, PMM asphalt emulsion based sealant must be applied every 2-3 years to prevent damage from oil. Outstanding surface preparation is required in order to seal properly. Overnight temperatures should not be below 55 degrees when applying seal coat.

One of Sommerset Paving’s expert and professional team members uses a machine to apply this sealer and watches closely that it is done properly. Machine application leads to a more even application, even wear, allows a greater amount of sealer to be applied, and guarantees the product is properly agitated.

Maintain your investment with preventative care that is a minimal charge per linear yard compared to a more costly sectional rip out and replacement.