Last year I filled all the cracks in my blacktop. Well they all re-opened over winter. Darn. Anybody have tricks to fill the cracks so they actually stay sealed for more than a year?

I used to use different kinds that you buy in the stores for years and they never lasted more than a year. I had a driveway business (Jet Black) use the hot melted rubber in the cracks and it was better and lasted pretty good for two years but of course cost much more. MN winters are tough on driveways and mine needs it done again.

If the cracks are wide, you need to clean them out first (a jet of water from the hose works) and fill with sand. This helps the joint to not move as much. And, the hot rubber is the way to go. Line striping guys often do crack sealing too.

My is cracking as well. It will need to be repaired. I want to get a quote on tar and chatting but all the pavers try to discourage you from going that route. I know the state does it to their roads and it seems to last pretty good. Anyone know anything good or bad about tar/chatting?

If you have blow outs as in alligator skin looking spots or where the asphalt has spider webbed that would need to be dug out and replaced most likely the base under it too since asphalt only mimics what under it. If you only have cracks not blow outs blow them out with compressed air not water, water will prohibit the bond that the crack filler will have to the asphalt, thus fore making it reappear sooner. Go buy some cold mix asphalt most asphalt company's make it. If you cant find any that way I believe Lowe's/Home Depot sale a cold mix in a bag. Blow the cracks out with compressed air then fill said cracks that are big enough for the cold mix to fit in then after that hire a good quality crack fill company most asphalt company does this too in the slower season spring and fall if you take those steps you shouldn't have to do it every year if your getting more and more cracks every yr then you more then likely need an overlay done min 3 inches

I've never heard the word 'chatting,' Scout.

It's where they put tar down and the small flake gravel-hence the term "tar and chat".

^^^^^^
Also called "chip sealing".

Gotcha. That might work.

AKA "armor coating"

If anybody gets it figured out, the federal interstates, state highway depts., and municipalities would love to know it. When temps vary from 110+ in summer to -30 in winter, and moisture underneath at all times, it's gonna happen. Lots of expansion and contraction going on, and concrete and asphalt doesn't expand and contract well. Add to that the weight of heavy traffic. My best suggestion is to get into business replacing concrete and asphalt, there's money to be made!

ie expensive

I might try putting some sand in the cracks 1st.
I also like the idea of adding chips on top. I have to get me some of those little chips and try that this summer.

any idea of the cost ratio of tar and chatting compared to repaying? I'm going to have to do something in the next year or so. I have about 300' x 10'.

Around here the chip and seal is performed by larger firms focusing on road projects, with too much to do already. It’s almost impossible to even get a quote on a residential property. Mobe and set up costs push prices.
On the flip side there are several choices for driveway pavers set up to mobilize.
Could be totally different in your neck of the woods.
As far as value, chip seal should be south of half price to even consider imo.

I plan to try a tar and chip type process myself: put tar (sealer) in the cracks & then douse those cracks with miniscule pebbles.

I've often wondered if adding heat (torch) would help my crack filling effort.

Heat is good however your success/ failure is merely a reflection of the product chosen to perform the task.

Stay away from pourable homeowners products. Call a contractor.

The tar and chip process does work great on roads in my area. I've never seen a homeowner have it done though. But I haven't given up on trying to find a contractor to come in and use that method to fix my cracks.

Make sure if you clean the cracks with water you let them dry before you add crack filler. Hot crack filler is better than cold crack filler. Also sand is a good idea as well, bring the crack up to about 1 inch of so then apply your crack filler. Make sure once again that the sides of the crack are clean so the crack filler can adhere to a clean surface.

I've never pre rinsed my cracks. Hmmm. Maybe that's part of my problem. I guess I've been concerned a pressure washer would tear it up, and that the water would be slow to dry. I probably need to change my mindset.

Professional crack filling is done by routing the joint out with a router then blown out with compressed air. After that hot rubber is poured into the crack. Single ply toilet paper laid over it so it isn’t picked up with tires etc while curing.

Chip sealing is a good option to be done after crack filling. Problem is the machines used to do it are so large and heavy they usually will damage the driveway more than fix it. For that reason you will be hard pressed to find anyone to do it on a residential property. If they do, more than likely it’s not done correctly.

Just hire someone to professionally crack fill it then have them seal coat it afterwards. Any sealer or filler bought at a big box store is nothing short of garbage.

Keep in mine this is only my opinion. I do work for the largest paving company in the state though.

use sonoborn concrete crack filler. Its a urethane self leveling caulk. the trick is to clean the crack with powerwasher then paint the sides of the crack with a primer made for that purpose. Don't remember the name but good construction product stores should have it. don't get lumber yard crap. most all my cracks and joints have held for over 10 years!!

Our county has started doing a lot of manual chip coating just on the cracked areas and it holds up amazing.

I used to work for the hwy dept so I'm aware the huge seal coating machines that lay chips are probly too big for a driveway. I'm just interested in using chips on the cracks, niot the entire driveway. I might use that stuff that comes in the sand sausages from Ace. It has many granuals that seem to be about the right size for home use.

Last time I just used air compressor instead of h20 to clean the cracks. Maybe h20 is better, so long as it drys.

I've never heard of that stuff 653.

I wonder how this would work

https://www.menards.com/main/paint/....htm?tid=2375610473459930103&ipos=40

That’s the type contractors would use. Melt it down in an old pot on a turkey fryer? Might get difficult to pour it out though. They usually have a wand that pumps it out of the kettle. Let us know if you attempt it.

I’ll take the other 47 boxes on the skid off your hands for $10 / box?

Here's something interesting I saw at Menards:

https://www.menards.com/main/paint/...m?tid=679487815860451718&&ipos=1

A relative went to Menards and tried to buy it for me, but they didn't have it. He said I could probably order it on Menards website. I'll look into that.

I went to Menards to buy this but discovered it must be a pitch they make to contractors, because they strangely had a requirement that I must by 48 of them. I want to give this a try, so am hoping I can find somewhere that will sell me a block or 2.

It is your sub grade that's why it is cracking and the only way to stop it is to have it completely re-done. Crack sealers are just temporary you can get a paving company saw out down both sides of the cracking and put hot mix back and roll it in. Then seal it the cracking is coming from water staying under the mat and freezing and thawing. I worked for a large paving company here in Virginia for 12 year on a crew and in the lab. For the past 14 years I've helped a friend who paves driveways and parking lots.

Freeze/thaw definetly makes it worse.
Ants sometimes seem to like to use the cracks, as I see it when they have fresh sand on the driveway.

Clean the crack out well and buy a sack of ready mix cold asphalt repair. Fill the crack heaping full and pound it flat with a hammer, then apply sealer.

My cracks aren't that big yet, but the hammer idea with cold mix sounds good. I might powerwash the blacktop & then try that.

Do many of you powerwash blacktop?

I just had my driveway sealcoated professionally. They power washed it the day before.

Ok, thanks Cork.

BigBob, I went to Ace & bought a bag of cold patch. Your idea sounds good.

BigBob's cold patch trick worked well. Excellent tip Bob, thanks. This is the best my driveway has ever survived a winter. I hammered the patch material into the cracks like he recommended, then I went over it with a torch, then I slathered driveway sealer on top of the crack.

Listen to Nimzy It's what he does for living when he Isn't trapping.

I'll consider that, thanks.

As far as sealing the entire driveway surface, do you guys on here feel it is worth spending extra $ for those 5 gallon containers that are advertised as 7-10 year sealant vs the lower priced 2-6 year rated pails?
It may be too late in the year to put it on anyway.

A lot of jobs are not done right from the start ground needs compacted to stop frost heave and the proper amount and application of hot mix if not you will be patching most every year. Spider cracks can be fixed with sealing as far as large cracks clean them well with compressor or pressure wash, let them dry then cold or hot patch, seal the following year.

Ten years after paving, three mushrooms pushed up through my son’s drive. He now gets a new one every year. Tried pouring Clorox and acid on the sprouting mushrooms, then patching a new baseball size hole.

All you Trappers with paved driveways don't live far enough from asphalt roads....I thought I was uppity when I put crushed limestone in the driveway, but it never cracks. Lol

Yeah, in some ways paved driveways are great, other times no. Sealing them is a lot of work. I usually buy the 8 yr sealer, but it sure doesn't last 8 years. This year the store ran out of it, so I used a bucket of the 2 year stuff. It appears just as good. Time will tell.

I payed for my driveway paving with fur money-whats your point?

Good work, Robert! I'm being serious.

?

No sealing my 2 track.

Probably one of those fellas that paved a 30 foot driveway right to the edge of 4 miles of gravel sand two track...

Sometimes I get hairline cracks in the blacktop that start to reopen this time of year. I wish there was a sealant that'd work in the cold

I use a latex based caulk that you buy for a caulking gun that you can buy at owes home depot etc that is paintableto fill in my driveway cracks and its actually works pretty well

... no asphalt or concrete on my drive... need a prca card just to ride up it lol ... at least it’s cheap I guess

.. hope you find a good solution to your issue AJE

The freeze/thaw up here does make things tough

Driveway cracks are like buttcracks-once seen you cant unsee them.

... so you have past seen buttcracks running on a loop in your head when you close your eyes or what? .. must be a Canadian problem lol

We have this problem on our roads in Virginia too.

The weather's been so warm I've still been able to put down more driveway sealer.