Potholes are a nuisance and an eyesore, and they are a problem that must be dealt with. Tucker Paving has nearly 30 years of experience in the paving industry—both concrete and asphalt—and we know that the longer a pothole goes unrepaired, the worse it gets! We recommend dealing with potholes by calling an expert in pavement repair; either way, one of the following three methods will be used to repair your potholes.
Pothole Repair Methods
These are the three methods used to repair potholes:
- Pothole Patching. This method utilizes enough asphalt to fill the pothole; the asphalt mixture is into the hole, and then it is tamped down with a hand tamper, a compaction machine, or a small roller. It is the cheapest and fastest option—it’s also the option that will last the shortest amount of time. Pothole patching will buy you about a year, and then the pothole will likely start to degrade and crumble once again.
- Mill Patching. This pothole repair method can be used if there are still layers of asphalt present at the bottom of the pothole. The asphalt crew will remove the upper layers of asphalt around the hole—called milling—and then will fill in the pothole and surrounding upper layers of asphalt. Mill patching will last longer than pothole patching, though it is not a guarantee; if there is standing water or if you live somewhere with freezing temperatures, then there could be additional issues with cracking or potholes. This option is also more expensive, but it creates a smooth pavement at the repair site.
- Dig-Out Patching. When a pothole is too deep for mill patching, then dig-out patching is the only option beyond replacing the entire pavement. The process starts with the asphalt crew removing a wide swath of asphalt around the pothole—usually at least a six-foot by six-foot area—down to the pavement’s aggregate base. The base is usually replaced and regraded, and then all of the layers of asphalt are replaced and compacted with a roller. This is the most expensive and time-consuming option, but it is also the option that will last the longest as the underlying problem that led to a pothole in the first place is fixed.
At Tucker Paving, we have nearly three decades in the asphalt and concrete paving industry. Contact us by calling (863) 299-2262, or use our contact form online, to inquire about your next asphalt paving project!