Whether it’s in a local San Jose neighborhood or the parking lot of your business, potholes are a nuisance and a safety risk. People can trip on them, cars can get flat tires or other damage, and they are just plain unsightly. But what can be done about them? In today’s blog at Black Bear Paving & Grading, we talk about some of the most common methods used for pothole repair and how they are done. While you may be tempted to attempt pothole repair yourself if it’s on or near your property, we recommend leaving it to asphalt paving experts. Do-it-yourself solutions are often costly and ineffective.
How Is Pothole Repair Done?
Whether it’s in a local San Jose neighborhood or the parking lot of your business, potholes are a nuisance and a safety risk. People can trip on them, cars can get flat tires or other damage, and they are just plain unsightly. But what can be done about them? In today’s blog at Black Bear Paving & Grading, we talk about some of the most common methods used for pothole repair and how they are done. While you may be tempted to attempt pothole repair yourself if it’s on or near your property, we recommend leaving it to asphalt paving experts. Do-it-yourself solutions are often costly and ineffective.
If you are in San Jose or the surrounding areas and need help with a pothole or other asphalt paving services, contact our team at Black Bear Paving & Grading today! We offer quality, reliable, and transparent asphalt paving services at a fair price.
Temporary Patch
Temporary pothole repair solutions are typically not recommended unless you are in a bind. This is because like the name suggests, these are not long-term solutions. Meaning that while your problem may be solved for the time being, you are going to have to deal with the pothole repair again shortly with a more long-term asphalt paving solution.
The most common type of temporary pothole repair solution is often referred to as a Throw-and-Roll repair. The procedure is fairly simple. Liquid asphalt is poured into the pothole until it’s completely filled. Then, a large, heavy vehicle is rolled over the patchwork to pack the asphalt in — and that’s it. Typically, a large truck, tractor, or bulldozer is used to drive over the asphalt repair. This type of temporary patch typically only makes sense if there are dangerous weather conditions that prevent the asphalt paving repair from being done properly.
Semi-Permanent Asphalt Repair
Despite the name, this is actually a much better asphalt paving repair solution than a temporary patch. Perhaps the only pothole repair methods better than this type are full-depth asphalt patching. This method is amongst the most common asphalt repair solutions.
First, all water and debris are removed from the pothole as best as possible until there is nothing left inside. After the pothole has been emptied, clean cuts are made around the outside edges. This makes it so that there is some solid, undamaged asphalt along with the damaged pothole asphalt that the new material can bind to. Once the pothole has been precisely outlined with tactical cuts, it is filled in with brand new asphalt and compacted with a vibratory roller or plate.
Our team at Black Bear Paving & Grading in San Jose are seasoned professionals when it comes to asphalt paving repair of all types. Contact us today to start your efficient and effective pothole repair or start with a free quote!
Spray Injection Patching
Spray injection patching is a method similar in quality to the semi-permanent asphalt repair method, but it takes a slightly different approach. Instead of cutting around the edges, filling in the pothole, and using a small compacting method, spray injection sprays asphalt in at high-speed. This is done through a large machine that is towed behind a work truck.
Spray injection asphalt repair starts similar to semi-permanent in the way that the pothole is still completely cleaned out of any debris and leftover water. However, that is where the differences end. At this point, spray injection sprays on a tack coat of binder on the inside and the bottom of the pothole. This is essentially forcing new asphalt into the pothole at high speeds, compacting the asphalt as you go from the bottom up. Once the pothole is filled, the top is covered with an asphalt paving patch layer of aggregate. Because the asphalt is packed down during the filling process, there is no need to compact afterward. Additionally, once spray injection pothole repair is done, the area can be opened up again to foot and vehicle traffic right away.
Full-Depth Asphalt Repair
Full-depth asphalt repair or full-depth asphalt replacement is far and above the best method for repairing potholes and other damage to your asphalt. If you have the option to choose this repair method, Black Bear Paving & Grading in San Jose recommends that you always go this route. This is because the old asphalt is completely removed to its full depth (hence the name), and replaced with fresh, new asphalt.
We recommend that this method, and the other methods mentioned above, only be performed by an experienced paving company. Asphalt paving repair can be a complicated process and is not something that you want to leave to chance.
Full-depth asphalt repair starts by completely destroying the damaged or worn asphalt in and surrounding the pothole. In some scenarios, if the asphalt is a suitable candidate, the destroyed asphalt is mixed with cement and water and used as a base for the new asphalt. Afterward, new asphalt paving is done to the damages section to make it look like the pothole or damage never happened. In many cases, the repaired asphalt is as strong if not stronger than the surrounding asphalt!
Black Bear Paving & Grading in San Jose
Black Bear Paving & Grading in San Jose
When you need help with pothole repair, damaged asphalt, asphalt paving, or any other paving services, Black Bear Paving & Grading in San Jose is your go-to paving company. We have more than 25 years of combined experience and are committed to providing honest, respectful, and reliable services. Contact us at Black Bear Paving & Grading today to get started with your asphalt paving estimate!