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Asphalt Crack Sealing

Make Your Asphalt Pavement Look Like New Again: Best Practices to Repair Alligator Cracking

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Despite being one of the most durable, flexible, affordable, and sustainable paving materials in the paving industry, asphalt isn’t entirely immune to cracking and other damages. Even if you take great care of your asphalt parking lot, occasional cracks are still inevitable, especially if your property gets a lot of heavy traffic. Alligator cracking is one of the most common types of damages that asphalt parking lots and roads sustain over time. Luckily, these are also some of the easiest and most affordable damages to repair.

What Is Alligator Cracking?

As the name suggests, alligator cracks are crack patterns in your asphalt that resemble the dry and brittle skin of an alligator. Another name for alligator cracking is crocodile cracking. They’re usually caused by asphalt fatigue and consistent usage of heavy vehicles such as pickup trucks, tow trucks, tractor trailers, delivery vehicles, school buses, and long haul vehicles.

Of course, alligator cracking is typically just a surface symptom of a problem that’s rooted far deeper in the subgrade of your asphalt pavement. It usually signifies a lack of structural integrity or internal damages. The longer alligator cracks are ignored, the more likely they are to develop into much larger damages like potholes that are also costlier to repair.

How to Fix Alligator Cracking

Fortunately, alligator cracks are very easy and affordable to fix in a few simple steps. If you’re not comfortable implementing these repair practices yourself, then you should consider contacting a professional asphalt installation and repair contractor like Sure-Seal Pavement Maintenance Inc. to do it for you.

Be advised that alligator cracking can range from high to low severity fatigue cracking and you need to know exactly what you’re dealing with beforehand so that you can aptly remedy the problem.

Make Sure You Have a Strong Foundation

The first step to repairing alligator cracks is to ensure that the foundation or subgrade isn’t the problem. There’s no point in sealing the cracks if they’re just going to return with a vengeance a few weeks later. This will just end up costing you a lot more time and money in the long run.

To truly get to the root of the problem, you need to go beneath the surface of the asphalt and repair the subgrade. In some cases, you may need to even remove some of it, mix it in with a stronger aggregate, and then reapply it.

Crack Sealing

The final step of the process is to seal the damaged area to protect it against external elements and prevent the cracks from reopening. This will also help extend the lifespan of your asphalt parking lot.

If you need alligator crack repair services in Toronto or the GTA, then call on the experts at Sure-Seal Pavement Maintenance Inc.! We have well over 20 years of industry experience and all of our projects are backed by an extensive seven-year product and labour warranty. Contact us today to schedule your complimentary consultation!

Lance Bradshaw

Lance Bradshaw, President and Founder of Sure-Seal Pavement Inc. 21 years experience in the Pavement Maintenance Industry. Seminar trainer and educator for Property Managers and Industry personnel. Currently serving on the Contractor Advisory Board for Gem-Seal Pavement Products Inc., Charlotte, N.C. Ontario Provincial distributor of Gem-Seal Pavement products through Pavement Maintenance Supply Depot, Toronto, Ontario.

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