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Sealcoating is vital to maintain your asphalt parking lot. At Yellowstone Pavement Solutions we specialize in all things asphalt maintenance. This includes crack repair, sealcoating, line striping and pot hole repair. We operate throughout Montana including; Bozeman, Belgrade, Billings, Three Forks, Ennis, Helena, Butte and Missoula.
Luke Surma

Luke Surma

Luke is a Project Engineer at Yellowstone Pavement Solutions. He brings both field and educational experience to the team and works to share his industry knowledge in all things asphalt maintenance.

Cracks in an asphalt driveway are not just cosmetic blunders, they are also signs of a failing asphalt structure. The best thing that you can do as the owner of an asphalt driveway is to fix your cracks as soon as they appear. Follow the steps below to see how Yellowstone Pavement Solutions goes about addressing the issue of asphalt cracks.

Step 1: Locate all Cracks Over 1/4″ in Width

The first step in professional asphalt crack repair is to identify all cracks that need to be sealed. Cracks under 1/4″ will be sealed with a sealcoat emulsion. If the driveway is not being sealcoated then all cracks need to be filled. 
 

Cracks may also have to be categorized to determine if they are a static or working cracks. Working cracks should be routed and filled. Routing a working crack will give a greater rubber reservoir and therefore more movement of the crack is possible without splitting the rubber.

Step 2: Thoroughly Clean Cracks with Grazor

Once all cracks are located and the crack type is detmermined, YPS takes the extra step of grazing the cracks. This wheeled brush thoroughly cleans out all debris and organics from the existing asphalt cracks. This extra measure will ensure that the hot rubberized asphalt material fully bonds to the sides of the crack.

Common issues that arise from uncleaned cracks are pull-ups and bubbling. Pull-ups (or pull-outs) are an indication of dirt still remaining on the walls of the cracks. This issue is easily addressed by a blowing the crack out with compressed air following the grazor. Bubbling is usually an indication of water remaining in the cracks or organics that were not removed. Again, this issue is avoided by proper cleaning.

Step 3: Fill Cracks with Rubberized Asphalt Material

Cracks are filled with a rubberized asphalt material at approximately 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cracks are filled with either and oil jacketed melter, or a direct fire melter. Once material is heated to the proper application temperature, the cracks are filled from the bottom up.

We usually band our cracks roughly 1″ on either side of the crack to create a water tight seal. The main effort in crack repair is to stop the intrusion of water, so we take every necesseary precaution to avoid this.

Step 4: Refill if Necessary. Ensure Proper Banding

Cracks can commonly extend down to the sub base of a pavement surface. This means that many cracks are 3-4 inches deep and require additional material. By reviewing all of our repairs after they have set, YPS is able to guarantee a professional fix. 

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