Crack Repairing

Asphalt Crack Repairing is one of the most important factors in keeping an asphalt surface protected and maintained.

As a contractor, adding a crack filling service to your business has great profit potential. Filling and sealing asphalt cracks is a valuable service that will be saving your customers' investment. You will also find that you will convert more people into customers when you're offering an asphalt crack filling service.

There are many different situations that require Crack Repair or Filling. In many situations cracks can be caused by a poor foundation, by not having a thick enough layer of asphalt or having a layer of asphalt that is too thick. Sometimes when the asphalt is originally installed, the asphalt mix is not blended properly.

Earth movement, extremely heavy vehicles, roots from trees and the freeze-thaw cycle every year are also factors in creating asphalt cracks.

There are many names for different types of cracks such as “longitudinal cracks, transverse and diagonal cracks, edge and reflective cracks, construction joint cracks, widening cracks, tree root cracks or lane joint cracks.” All of these cracks are also known as Asphalt Cracks. Whatever type of crack, it must be repaired properly before sealcoating the asphalt area.

It is extremely important to repair any cracks that arise and maintain an ongoing Asphalt Crack Repair maintenance program every year. Your clients should be aware that if you do not repair the cracks, water will enter through it and into the foundation of the asphalt. The foundation will begin to erode, resulting in potholes and depressions which will lead to extensive damage and costly repairs.

As a contractor, it is important to retain all information from your clients and input them into your computer files. This way, within a year’s time you can go back and remind your clients that it is time for another maintenance assessment. You have a golden opportunity to build an ongoing, long term relationship with your customers that will allow you to pre-book jobs with them for years to come. Getting the right information and developing a Customer Relationship Management system will also allow you to build a high valuation for your business if you should ever decide to sell your business.

Asphalt Crack Repair is a fast and easy process.

Be sure to remove all dirt and vegetation from the cracks as stated in part one of the course. Use a lawn edging machine to dig out and scrape off all grass and weeds that may be encroaching on the asphalt area or inhabiting any cracks. It is very important to clean the crack a ½ inch deep and fill it with great quality crack filler. We highly recommend that you pay close attention to Asphalt Crack Repair, because if you don’t the asphalt is on a fast track to deterioration and decay.



There are three basic types of crack filling products that can be used for asphalt cracks:



1. Hot Rubberized Crack filler:

This is often used by sealcoating contractors, large driveway owners and commercial parking lot owners.

The product is applied with a crack filling machine/system (such as the RY10 Gallon Crack filler Melter Applicator). It is effective asphalt crack filler because it lasts. It comes in blocks and is melted down in the burner tank of the RY10 Gallon Crack filler Melter Applicator. 

As a contractor, you will save a lot of time and energy if you invest in a crack filler, as you are not trying to fill many, large cracks by hand.

The RY10 Gallon crack filler Melter Applicator is designed to apply a hot pour rubberized crack filler that expands in the crack when drying and setting. The machine keeps a constant heat source on the product, giving you the ability to fill cracks all day long. Without a heat source your product will cool quickly, become more difficult to use and result in poor crack workmanship.

The RY10 Pro is an improved version of the RY10; instead of a torch, you get a flat-bottom burner plate. The burner plate burns fuel more efficiently and applies heat more evenly, which melts the rubberized crackfiller faster.


2. Cold Acrylic Crack Filler:

This is the most efficient crack filler to fill small driveway cracks.  Cold acrylic crack filling works well on small jobs and small cracks. It is perfect for cracks that are half an inch or less. It comes in 1 Gallon Jugs or Buckets and is applied by hand.

* This type of crack filler is NOT recommended for large cracks. Cold crack filler has a tendency to sink into the wider cracks and sometimes pour right through the foundation, preventing it from ever being filled. Though the crack filler is still sealing the crack, aesthetically it looks as though it has sunk deep into the crack.

3. Gator Patch

This product is an effective crack filler to fill in alligator cracks, as well as shallow holes and wide cracks. It's a great all-around patch for driveways and parking lots, and it's easy to apply too with a simple squeegee. Available in 5-gallon pails, it can be used right out of the pail.


Instructions on Filling Cracks and Patching Holes:


Hot asphalt patching repairs and hot pour crack filling are services that are in demand throughout the year, wherever you are. Professional contractors know this is an excellent side business to keep income steady regardless of the season.

1. Filling the Cracks:

• For cracks that are ¼ inch to ½ wide we recommend that you use the Cold Acrylic crack filler.
• For cracks that range from a ½ inch to 1 inch wide we recommend that the cracks be cleaned out, then use course sand to fill in the crack half way.  Apply the Cold Acrylic Crack filler to the remaining top portion of the crack.
• Air temperatures must be greater than 60°F to allow the repair material to cure.
• Either push or pull the tip of the crack filler bottle along the crack, filling the crack right to the surface. Smooth the excess crack fill with a squeegee or soft broom. Keep the filler in the crack, not on the surface or on your hands.
• If you find you do a lot of work with the Cold Acrylic crack filler you may want to invest in the AK Pour Pot. The AK Pour Pot is designed to hold 2.5 gallons of crack filler and allows you to fill cracks by hand.
• For cracks that are much deeper and larger we suggest the RY10 Hot Pour Crack Fill Melter Applicator. The RY10 crack machine has a 10 gallon capacity.
• If you need faster melting and improved efficiency, you can invest in the RY10 PRO. Equipped with a flat-bottom melting plate, it melts nearly 50% faster than standard torch-fired melters, letting you start crackfilling faster.

• Cold patch can be applied under all weather conditions.
• It has superior adhesion to wet or dry surfaces.
• Remove any loose material from the pothole and fill it with Cold Patch, using a shovel.
• The pothole can then be compacted with a shovel, a hand tamper, vibratory tamper, or truck tires.
• Compact the material as best as you can with a tamper, vibrating plate, even use the end of a heavy board. Add more material until the hole is slightly overfilled.
• You can also use a 6x6 or 4x4 piece of wood and tamp the patch by hand. Using a vibrating plate is the easiest method, especially if you have many holes to patch.

• You will need a hot asphalt hot box. A hot box is insulated and heated to keep the asphalt mix hot.  This will allow you to work with the asphalt in its hot workable form. Without an asphalt hot box, the asphalt would cool too quickly and turn to a solid form.
• Asphalt hot boxes keep asphalt hot and usable for up to 14 hours. You can work all year long, even during the winter.
• Hot Asphalt is a long lasting durable product, made from rock, sand, tar & Bitumen.
• It is extremely hot when it is first applied so that it can fit and be worked into the repair area.
• As the hot asphalt cools it hardens and becomes extremely solid.
• It takes approximately 24 hrs for a hot asphalt patch to harden and be safe to drive on.
• Asphalt surfaces should be sealed with a commercial grade coal tar sealer to prevent asphalt patching and decay.