How to Deal with Those Nuisance Potholes Correctly
If you have a road network within your property, then you may be responsible for its upkeep. You need to ensure that it is kept in good condition from both a safety and performance point of view and will need to take steps to repair a road whenever damage becomes apparent. In this case, you will certainly need to know how to deal with potholes, as they are an unfortunate and ever-present risk in such a situation. How do you need to address this problem properly?
Wearing out
Given time, any road surface will wear out, no matter how well it may have been installed. If you need to deal with a lot of heavy traffic and are in a part of the world where weather conditions can contribute, then you may have to deal with more than your average share of trouble.
Winter Damage
When winter rolls around, you may experience several days of bad weather. You may go through a freeze/thaw/freeze cycle, and when this happens, tiny cracks may appear on the surface of the asphalt allowing water to enter. At this stage, trapped water beneath the surface may also freeze and thaw, and this will certainly cause the product to weaken. As those heavy trucks roll across the surface, the material may break altogether and sink, causing the pothole to appear.
Making Matters Worse
Small potholes may quickly become cavernous and can present a traffic hazard in their own right. Your road users will be unhappy as they may experience damage, broken rims and punctures. Clearly, you need to take action as soon as possible whenever these potholes appear.
Taking the Right Approach
Always make sure that you work with a contractor who has widespread experience in this area and understands how to fix a pothole the right way.
Typically, the area will need to be completely cleaned so that all of the broken asphalt and other debris is removed. Before they can lay hot mix asphalt, they may need to treat the area around the hole to make it pliable and may need to add heat to the process to do so.
This work must be completed as promptly as possible and before the new asphalt has time to cool off. The workers will need to compact the fresh material so that it bonds correctly with the old asphalt beneath and creates a perfectly smooth surface.
Taking Action
Whenever you see a pothole in the making, get in touch with your chosen contractor right away. After all, the longer that you leave it, the bigger the problem may become.
For more information, contact a pothole repair service today.
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