Asphalt Repair

Potholes in commercial parking lots are more than just an aesthetic issue; they pose significant safety and financial risks that necessitate prompt attention. For business owners and property managers, maintaining a smooth, safe parking surface is a crucial aspect of operational liability.

Timely pothole repair is vital for several reasons:

• Minimizing Trip-and-Fall Hazards: Potholes create uneven surfaces, which are a leading cause of slip, trip, and fall accidents for customers, employees, and delivery personnel. These incidents can lead to serious injuries, including sprains, fractures, and head trauma.
• Preventing Vehicle Damage: Deep potholes can cause significant damage to vehicles, including tire punctures, rim damage, suspension issues, and misalignment. This leads to costly repairs for customers and tarnishes the business's reputation.
• Protecting Pavement Integrity: When left unrepaired, a small pothole allows water to seep into the sub-base of the pavement. This moisture causes the surrounding asphalt to deteriorate rapidly, especially during freeze-thaw cycles, leading to the formation of larger, more numerous potholes. Early intervention through patching saves money by preventing expensive, large-scale resurfacing or replacement projects.

From a legal standpoint, parking lot defects are a major liability. Commercial property owners have a duty of care to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition for invitees.

• Premises Liability Claims: If someone is injured due to a pothole on your property, you could be held liable in a premises liability lawsuit. The plaintiff typically needs to prove that the property owner knew or should have known about the dangerous condition (the pothole) and failed to fix it or adequately warn visitors.
• Financial Burden: The costs associated with defending a lawsuit, paying out settlements or judgments, and increasing insurance premiums far outweigh the cost of proactive maintenance. A single successful liability claim can be financially devastating.
• Risk Mitigation: Implementing a regular inspection and repair schedule is the best way to mitigate this risk. Documenting these efforts—including inspection dates, repair actions, and before-and-after photos—provides strong evidence of due diligence should a claim arise.

In summary, treating pothole repair as a non-negotiable safety measure, rather than an optional expense, is the foundation of responsible commercial property management and financial protection. Free Estimates  

The driveway apron is the small, highly stressed section of pavement where your driveway meets either the garage floor or the street. This area is prone to damage because it bears the brunt of heavy vehicle turning and is often undermined by water intrusion. Cracks, sinking, and deterioration here are common due to inadequate base compaction or water seeping into the subgrade, which compromises the pavement's foundation. A damaged apron is not only a major eyesore but also creates a significant trip hazard and can lead to water damage near your foundation or garage slab.

To achieve a permanent repair, surface patching is insufficient. The professional, long-term solution involves a full-depth saw-cut repair:

1. Precision Saw-Cut and Removal: The contractor uses a diamond blade saw to make a clean, straight cut completely around the damaged section, typically extending 2 to 4 feet into the driveway. All compromised, sunken, or cracked asphalt is then completely excavated and hauled away, exposing the base layer.
2. Base Foundation Rebuild: This is the most crucial step. The exposed sub-base is inspected, and any soft or failed soil is removed. New, high-quality aggregate base material (like Class V gravel) is installed, graded for proper drainage, and meticulously compacted using heavy plate compactors. Addressing and stabilizing the base prevents the new apron from sinking again.
3. New Hot-Mix Asphalt Installation: A tack coat (asphalt binder) is applied to the edges of the existing pavement to create a strong adhesive bond. Finally, fresh hot-mix asphalt is placed into the cutout, leveled precisely to match the adjacent surfaces, and compacted until dense and smooth. This process results in a seamless, durable apron that structurally supports traffic and resists water infiltration for years to come.

Alligator cracking, also known as spider or crocodile cracking, is one of the most serious forms of asphalt deterioration.1 It is characterized by a network of interconnected, multi-sided cracks that truly resemble the scales on an alligator's hide.2 This pattern is not just a surface flaw; it is a definitive sign of structural failure in the pavement's underlying base and subgrade layers.3

The primary causes are typically inadequate structural support for the imposed weight (repeated heavy traffic/overloading) and water infiltration.4 Once surface cracks allow moisture to saturate the stone base beneath the asphalt, the base weakens, loses its stability, and cannot support the pavement anymore.5 The asphalt surface then flexes repeatedly under load, leading to a fatigue failure that manifests as this distinctive, severe cracking pattern.6 Simple crack filling or sealcoating is only a temporary, cosmetic fix because it fails to address the foundational problem.7

A permanent repair requires a full-depth patch or "dig-out" to fix the failure from the bottom up:8

1. Saw-Cutting and Removal: The contractor clearly defines the entire damaged area, cutting through the asphalt and slightly into the surrounding "good" pavement.9 The entire cracked section is then excavated and removed, exposing the failed sub-base.10
   
2. Base Repair: The exposed, saturated, or compromised stone base and subgrade are removed. New, clean aggregate base material is brought in, properly graded, and meticulously compacted to ensure a solid foundation.11 Any drainage issues must also be addressed at this stage.12
   
3. New Asphalt Installation: A sticky tack coat is applied to the edges of the existing pavement to ensure a strong bond.13 Fresh, hot-mix asphalt is then placed into the excavated area in layers, compacted thoroughly, and leveled flush with the surrounding surface. This process replaces the weak section with a strong, new structure designed to last.