Asphalt Repair in Columbus, OH

Asphalt repair is the right call for most Columbus driveways and lots that are breaking up in a few places rather than everywhere. Every spring, freeze-thaw cycles and plows leave behind potholes, raveled patches and broken edges. If the rest of the pavement is firm, those areas can be cut out, the base under them rebuilt, and fresh hot mix compacted in their place for far less than a new driveway. What does not work for long is a shovel of cold patch dropped into a wet hole.

How potholes form here

It usually starts with a crack. Rain and snowmelt get through it into the stone base and the soil below. When that water freezes it expands and lifts the asphalt; when it thaws, it leaves a void and a soft, wet base. Tires flex the unsupported asphalt until it breaks into pieces and pops out. Slow-draining clay soils, common across Central Ohio, keep the base wet longer, so the cycle repeats all winter.

Our repair methods

Saw-cut patching

We cut a clean square around the damage, extending past the cracked area, and remove the broken asphalt. Wet or soft base is dug out and replaced with compacted stone. The cut edges get a tack coat, then hot mix is placed and rolled flush with the surrounding surface. This is the standard, long-lasting repair for potholes and alligator cracking.

Edge rebuilding

Broken edges are cut back to solid asphalt, the base is extended and compacted, new asphalt is laid, and soil is packed against the edge so it has support.

Crack sealing

Cracks wider than a hairline are cleaned out and filled with hot-applied rubberized sealant that stays flexible in cold weather. Fall is the best time, because a sealed crack keeps winter water out of the base.

Trench and utility-cut repair

Where a sewer, water or gas line was dug through a driveway, the trench often settles. We bring it back to grade with compacted stone and patch it with hot mix.

Repair, overlay or replace

If the damage is scattered and the rest of the surface is solid, repairs are the best value. If the whole surface is gray, rough and covered with fine cracks but still firmly supported, an overlay may make more sense. If failures cover most of the area, replacement usually wins over time. HomeGuide's rule of thumb: patching or resurfacing fits asphalt under about 15 to 20 years old with less than 25 to 30 percent of it damaged, a stable base and no drainage problems, while cracking over 60 to 70 percent of the surface, multiple potholes or chronic drainage trouble point to replacement. We tell you which group your pavement is in and why.

Winter emergencies

Asphalt plants and hot-mix work slow down in the cold months. For a pothole that cannot wait, cold patch can hold until spring, and we tell you when that is what you are getting. The permanent hot-mix repair follows once weather allows.