Pavement cracks may look and seem harmless, but they can do serious damage to your budget if they are not repaired in a timely manner. The reason repairs are imperative are because asphalt and concrete cracks:
- Expose your pavement to further damage due to weather and wear
- Increase the chances that your pavement will experience early failure
- Require extensive surface course treatments if not sealed right away
- Can lead to significant fractures that may put motorists or pedestrians at risk
- Damage the visual impression and curb appeal that your pavement is meant to offer
It is almost always more cost effective to seal pavement cracks immediately, rather than waiting and committing to more expensive repairs down the line.
How Do Pavement Cracks Affect Your Budget?
Whether your property features asphalt or concrete, cracks are inevitable. Even the best mixed, installed and cured pavement will experience superficial cracking over time. So, if your asphalt or concrete is demonstrating this type of wear, it does not necessarily mean that there are significant, underlying issues with your pavement. What it does mean is that it is time to schedule crack sealing maintenance with a reputable paving contractor. Here is why that is important:
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- Cracks expose your pavement to additional damage through weather and wear – Every crack in your pavement is a potential ingress point for rain and dust. Water is a major threat to concrete and asphalt’s deeper layers, as it attacks the binders holding the pavement together.
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- Cracks increase the likelihood that your pavement will fail early – Open pavement cracks are susceptible to weather-related stresses, but those are not the only risks. Cracks are weak spots that cannot bear weight well and will deteriorate faster than the surrounding, intact pavement. Allowing those weak spots to remain will put your pavement’s overall condition at risk, likely resulting in earlier failure and, by extension, earlier replacement.
- Unaddressed cracking may require a surface treatment that is more expensive – When pavement cracks are addressed early, they are easily corrected. If they are allowed to deteriorate and spread, your pavement may require a full surface course, like an overlay. Surface courses are much more involved and much more expensive than crack sealing and are typically reserved for when the pavement is nearing middle age.
- Cracks will eventually develop into fractures or potholes that put people at risk – Unsealed cracks are susceptible to rapid deterioration that can lead to widespread fracturing or potholes. These represent deep failures in the pavement that can only be corrected by ripping out the damaged pavement and replacing it. That will be a bigger hit to your budget.
- Cracks affect your property’s curb appeal – Unsealed cracks are an eyesore for your property and give people the impression that it is not properly maintained. While you cannot quantify the budgetary impact of this curb appeal hit, it does have an impact, especially if there are many cracks present.
Add it all up and crack sealing maintenance makes good budgetary sense.
What Does the Crack Sealing Process Involve?
If crack sealing is recommended, it is typically a quick process that causes minimal disruption and provides a long-term fix. Here is what property owners can expect during the project:
- A detailed inspection of the project site – Before your pavement team will commit to any work, the crew will first inspect your pavement and determine if there are underlying issues causing the cracks. For example, base instabilities or poor installation methods can result in pavement cracks.
If there are issues with your pavement’s deeper layers, they will need to be corrected first before work can continue.
- Thorough cleaning – Dust, dirt and other materials must be removed from any cracks and around the project site before sealing. If any remain during the crack sealing process, they will interfere with how the sealing compound bonds. To ensure the best possible outcome, reputable pavement contractors will use highly pressurized compressed air and, if necessary, a heat lance to vaporize moisture and dust.
- Crack sealing and curing – Once the project site is cleaned and prepared, the pavement team will repair the cracks using a specialized sealing compound. This sealing compound is a rubberized asphalt mix that is heated and deposited directly into each crack. It cures quickly once placed and flexes like the surrounding pavement, so it will retain its seal even under thermal stresses.
- A detailed inspection of the project site – Before your pavement team will commit to any work, the crew will first inspect your pavement and determine if there are underlying issues causing the cracks. For example, base instabilities or poor installation methods can result in pavement cracks.
It typically only takes a day or two for the crack sealer to completely cure and allow for vehicle traffic.
What Are the Benefits of Sealing Pavement Cracks as Soon as Possible?
There are good reasons to invest in crack sealing when necessary, including:
- Protecting the pavement against water intrusion – Sealing any pavement cracks will provide a shield against water intrusion, which is the primary risk of allowing open cracks to remain.
- Preventing issues like potholes or worsening fractures – Sealing cracks will fortify the damaged pavement and slow the progression of future damage like potholes or spreading fractures.
- Extending the pavement’s life and structural integrity – The goal of any pavement repair is to extend the pavement’s useful life and to delay the need for full restoration or replacement services, which will always be more expensive than spot repairs like crack sealing.
- Promoting a well-maintained appearance – If pavement cracks are addressed rapidly, this will communicate to visitors and potential tenants that the property is invested in and well-maintained.
- Protecting the pavement against water intrusion – Sealing any pavement cracks will provide a shield against water intrusion, which is the primary risk of allowing open cracks to remain.
A Reputable Paving Contractor Can Preserve Your Pavement with Crack Sealing Services
Pavement cracks are unavoidable, but property owners can minimize their budgetary impact. By responding quickly to cracks, you will prevent deeper pavement damage caused by weather, water and wear. That will delay your pavement’s deterioration and put off comprehensive repairs, which costs more than simple crack sealing.
It starts with a detailed, expert inspection of your pavement, which can identify any underlying reasons why your concrete or asphalt is cracking. If you have noticed cracks starting to form in your pavement, schedule an inspection with a reputable pavement contractor to get started.
