Top 3 Cracks That You Should Have Fixed by an Asphalt Paving Company

For many people, unsightly cracks in pavement seem to be nothing more than an aesthetic issue. However, they can be a more serious problem that requires the attention of an asphalt paving company.

Cracks can damage vehicles that regularly drive over them and they can lead to more serious structural problems down the line or indicate issues that require swift correction.

Certain kinds of cracks are especially problematic. These can spread quickly and require urgent attention. To properly and thoroughly evaluate any structural issue you need the help of a qualified asphalt paving company, like Melrose Paving.

Here are three types of cracks that you should be aware of.

1. Ice Cracks Can Spread Fast
When water freezes it frozen expands in volume by 9%. In rapidly changing temperatures even a seemingly harmless amount of water can repeatedly freeze and thaw, quickly expanding small cracks into large fissures. Not only can this make asphalt surfaces look terrible, it can also pose serious risks the safety of pedestrians and vehicles.

An asphalt paving company makes sure to use flexible rubberized asphalt to seal cracks. This ensures that when asphalt is moved the cracks stay sealed. It also ensures the natural expansion and contraction of the surface won’t pop the rubberized mixture loose.

2. Alligator Cracks Indicate a Larger Problem
Alligator cracks often resemble alligator skin, and usually spread across the entirety of a pavement surface. These cracks are mostly indicative of weak areas on the surface or base layer. They can also indicate poor drainage. Alligator cracks are important to investigate since they are symptomatic of significant problems invisible to the naked eye.

Filling in the alligator cracks with a patching product only offers a temporary repair solution. Expert help is needed to fully remove the affected section and inspect the base to assess if further work is needed, as it may be with drainage problems. The removed portion is replaced with fresh asphalt.

3. Block Cracking Indicates Aged or Poor Asphalt Binder
Block cracking takes the form of interconnected cracks that divide the pavement up into rectangular pieces, anywhere between one to one hundred square feet. The indicate that the asphalt binder mixed into the surface is no longer expanding and contracting as it should. This can be caused by age, or poor choice or quality of binder.

If block cracking is spotted quickly it can be fixed with crack seal and the surface can continue to function for many years. However, if the issue is left to progress the cracks can continue to grow in size. Eventually, this requires the total removal of the cracked pavement and its replacement with an overlay.

Asphalt Paving Company | Melrose Paving | Toronto & the GTA

Cracked pavement not only looks unpleasant, but they pose a danger to pedestrians and vehicles that use them. Some types of cracks are more serious than others and can quickly worsen, or indicate significant issues that require quick investigation and assessment.

It’s important to get a qualified asphalt paving company, like Melrose Paving, to investigate any suspected issues.

Our expert staff have an A to Z knowledge of asphalt paving acquired through work in many different sectors. We proudly offer free estimates for our safe, quality, and cost-effective solutions.

● Potholes and cracks not only look terrible, they can damage cars and be a real threat to pedestrians.
● Some types of cracks can get worse fast, either because of the mechanism by which they form, or because they indicate more severe problems in the underlying structure. This can drastically inflate the costs of repair.
● Melrose Paving is an asphalt paving company that has been working in the Toronto area since 1979, and has worked in the cities municipal and commercial, institutional, and residential sectors.