Asphalt repair guides

Warning signs your asphalt needs work

• Gray, faded surface. The sun has dried out the top layer. Time for a sealcoat.
• Long cracks. Seal them now, before water gets underneath.
• Small connected cracks. Often called alligator cracking. The base under that spot has failed and needs patching.
• Potholes. Water has already washed out the base. They grow with every storm.
• Crumbling edges. The side of the driveway has lost support and is breaking off.
• Puddles that stay. Low spots hold water that soaks into the base.

Patch, seal, or resurface?

Seal when the surface is sound but faded or has a few narrow cracks: crack sealing plus a sealcoat. Patch when the damage is in spots, like potholes, alligator cracking, or broken edges, and the rest of the surface is in decent shape.Resurface when cracks and patches cover much of the surface but the base is still solid. Replace when the driveway has sunk, holds water across large areas, or the base has washed out.

Reading the cracks

Single long cracks running across or along a driveway usually come from the asphalt aging and shrinking. They can be sealed. Cracks along the edge mean the edge has lost support. A web of small cracks in one area means the base underneath has failed, and sealing won’t fix it: that section needs to be cut out and patched.

When to sealcoat

Most driveways and lots do well with a sealcoat every two to three years, with cracks sealed first. New asphalt should cure for several months before its first coat. Sealer needs warm, dry weather and no rain for at least a day, so late spring through early fall is the usual season here. More on sealcoating.

Fayetteville-area weather and ground

Fayetteville’s July highs average over 90 degrees, and the city holds the state record high of 110 degrees, set in 1983. Heat softens asphalt, so parking and turning areas can rut and push out of shape. The area also averages about 44 inches of rain a year, and big storms have hit hard: Hurricane Matthew brought 12 to 15 inches of rain across Cumberland County in 2016, and Florence dropped more than 15 inches at Fayetteville’s airport in 2018.

Fayetteville sits in the Sandhills, where soils are largely sand. Sandy ground drains well, which works in a driveway’s favor, but the base still has to be compacted firmly, and edges without support crumble. Winters are mild, but nights near freezing still put some stress on cracks that are holding water.

For local details, see the pages for Spring Lake,Hope Mills,Raeford, and our otherservice areas.