While you may have seen numerous potholes in your life, you might not fully understand how potholes form and how we can actually help prevent them from occurring in the first place.

Potholes Develop When Water Seeps into Pavement through Unsealed or Improperly Sealed Cracks

When the water that seeped underneath the pavement freezes, it expands and increases the size of the crack along with it. Then, with rising temperatures as the ice thaws, the pavement contracts as water dissipates and leaves a gap underneath the surface of the pavement. If water continues to freeze and thaw over and over again in that area, that pavement will weaken and continue cracking. As the weight of heavy vehicles passes over these weak areas, the pavement continues to weaken until it collapses and forms a pothole.

During the colder weather conditions when salt is used to help prevent water from freezing on the pavement, this lowers the temperature when water will freeze and can create an artificial freeze-thaw cycle underneath the pavement that can result in accelerated asphalt damage. Because the temperature can fluctuate greatly during the spring, this freeze-thaw cycle happens most often improving the likelihood of pothole formation around this time of the year.

Quality Matters

A high-quality asphalt installation can make a substantial difference in how well the asphalt ages and holds up against the elements. The first step in preventing the occurrence of potholes is to do an excellent job the first time.  The next step is to act quickly when cracks in the pavement begin to occur over time.

Asphalt Crack Filling Can Help Prevent Potholes

By sealing cracks in your pavement, you can prevent water from seeping under the surface there after. Additionally, it prevents sand or rocks from coming up from the ground and further damaging the pavement. Asphalt crack filling can keep new cracks from forming and minimize the growth of any existing cracks in your asphalt. Treating small issues right away is critical to proper crack filling. Crack filling pays for itself by extending the life of your asphalt and delaying expensive asphalt resurfacing. In many instances, proper maintenance can help you double the life expectancy of your pavement.

Choose a Quality Paving Contractor

The team at Michigan Paving and Materials understands the tremendous importance of asphalt patching repair work, as we do significant patching and repair work in addition to our asphalt paving projects. We are Michigan’s leading asphalt company and have been in business since 1959. We use only the highest quality materials on the market and utilize only the best state of the art repair equipment to guarantee customer satisfaction. If you are interested in asphalt crack filling and maintenance work to extend the life of your pavement, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.