October, 2016 - New England Sealcoating

Asphalt patching becomes necessary when the surface of your asphalt parking lot or roadway becomes distressed to the point where severe alligators or potholes start to form. Most of the time this is caused by lack of a pavement preservation plan utilizing crack sealing and sealcoating at required intervals to help extend the life of the asphalt parking lot or roadway. Asphalt patching is completed in several ways:

Cold Patch: Cold patch is used primarily as a “temporary” repair and is used to fill pot holes and mitigate liability areas, such as tripping hazards. Cold patch is a less expensive method, is easy to install using just a shovel and tamp. Cold patch is considered “temporary” until a more permanent patching method can be done.
Skin Patch Surfacing: Skin Patching, with hot mix asphalt, is a temporary patching method which will outlast cold patch but is not as effective or considered a long term method. Skin patch is inexpensive compared to cut, removal & patch method. Primarily Skin Patches are used as a “buy some time patch” and done over larger distressed areas. A Skin Patch is a good course of action when emergency repairs need to be done and cold patch will not work.The edges are key cut and emulsion is applied over the area being paved, then asphalt is raked out over the distressed area, the edges are feathered in as close as possible and the patch is compacted. Skin patches are susceptible the old cracks underneath reflecting through and damage from snow plowing.
Hot Applied Patching: Infrared patching is another temporary patching method that will outlast cold patch and skin patching. The distressed area is first heated to 400 degrees with an infrared heater. Then scarified with an asphalt rake, new asphalt along with a liquid rejuvenator is installed to supplement the repair area and compacted. Infrared patching is a surface treatment only. Most distressed areas are caused by base failure and this is the reason that infrared is considered a temporary patch method. It does not correct or fix any base failures in the asphalt. It is ideal for minimizing low areas.
Hot Applied Mastic Patch: Mastic patching is another temporary patching method. Mastic patching is completed by applying and raking out a hot applied, pourable, rubberized, aggregate filled, self-adhesive polymer modified asphalt binder over A distressed area. The material is self levelling, it fills cracks, holes, and seals over the entire area providing a skid resistant surface. One of the reasons that the mastic repair will outlast the other three methods is that it is a more flexible material and can better withstand base movements. In New England all year long our asphalt moves with rain, snow, ice and water tables. Mastic Patch is great for our harsh New England weather. Mastic patch can only be used on small to medium distressed areas where cut, remove & repave has no size limitations.
Cut, Remove & Patch: Cut, remove and repave is considered a full depth replacement method making it the recommended method of patching. It is completed by cutting and removing the distressed asphalt. If necessary adding and compacting a new base gravel, then the existing sidewaks of the asphalt is tacked.Then 1-2 lifts of new asphalt is installed and compacted. The last step is to seal the joint between the old and new pavement.

In the end, there are many ways of fixing your asphalt to make it safe for vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Based on your specific needs and budget we hope these guidelines may help you choose the best course of action for your asphalt.