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Long Island Asphalt Driveway Repairs

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Repair Your Driveway on Long Island or Parking Lot Before the Damage is Severe

Each year harsh winters and scorching summers take their toll on driveways on Long Island. The heat and cold cause expansion and contraction, which lead to cracks.

Rain and snow enter into the cracks, causing further decay. In the winter, freezing rain enters as water and, when it freezes, expands as ice. All of this can lead to damage.

Small Repairs Mean Big Savings

Before problems become to severe, act quickly to repair small issues. Potholes and cracks can be repaired before major damage to your driveway or parking lot occurs.

Preventative care with driveway sealcoating on Long Island is the least expensive way to protect your driveway from the elements. By sealing the driveway, you greatly reduce the risk of water seeping in, which causes much of the damage.

How Do Cracks and Potholes Form?

The biggest cause of cracks and potholes in driveways, parking lots, roads and other paved areas is simply water. Water can get into most materials, cause erosion and damage that requires repair. Don’t believe us? Look at the Grand Canyon. That was formed by water…

1. Rain or Melting Snow Get Under Your Driveway

Water is able to get into the smallest of cracks. Any driveway, road or parking lot, even with proper sealcoating, does have a risk that water can find its way in. When it does, it moves below the pavement, down to lower levels.

2. Water Expands When Heated and When It Freezes

During the summer, heat causes the water to expand, putting pressure on the pavement above. In the winter, it turns to ice, also expanding, also creating upward pressure. This upward pressure can cause cracks to form.

3. Driving Over Cracked Surfaces Weakens or Breaks Pavement

As cars and trucks drive over weakened materials, they can break, causing potholes in roads. While this can happen in driveways, it is more often areas with crack patches. However, in extreme cases, potholes can form.

4. The Repair Starts with Cleaning Out the Impacted Area

The first thing we do is dig out the pothole and square up the edges. Cleaner edges give us the ability to create a stronger patch (called a “hot patch”).

5. Fill and Compress with Fresh Asphalt

We then overfill the area with fresh asphalt and compact it down tightly. This fills the area, gives strong support and resists additional damage.

6. Once Repaired, You Should Have a Solid Surface

Once completed, you should have a solid surface that is safe to drive over. It is important that you give a proper amount of time, after a repair, before driving on it. We’ve all seen potholes in roads repaired 3, 4 and 5 times, only to open right up again. The reason? Drivers are driving over that repair before it has time to set and cure. Give it adequate time, and it will be a repair job that can last for years.

Hot Patching, Repairing Sections, Filling Cracks

Whether a small repair or larger, driveway and parking lot repairs are far less expensive than a full rip out. There are times where a new paving job is required and can be the right answer. However, if you have the chance, take care now to avoid those expenses in the future.

Contact Reitman to Get It Done Right

Call our offices at (631) 549-5455 or complete the form on the right to get a free quote for your project. We work with clients across the North Shore of Nassau and Suffolk Counties and our team is here to help you.