Asphalt driveways are not immune to decay. Over time, tiny cracks begin to form. Once formed, these cracks will get bigger and bigger and may even turn into potholes. Not only will these pavement imperfections decrease your home’s curb appeal, but they can also be a safety hazard. Furthermore, holes in the asphalt allow moisture to cause even more extensive damage to your driveway. So, if you notice cracks and holes in your pavement, you need to get them fixed as soon as possible.
As with any home repair project, you must weigh the pros and cons of doing it yourself versus hiring a professional. In this article, we will walk you through how to repair driveway potholes and will look at the cost of materials and labor.
How to Repair Your Driveway Yourself
You will need:
- A sharp tool for scraping weeds and debris from the hole in the pavement (an ice scrapper works great)
- A broom
- Asphalt emulsion
- Asphalt filler
- A heavy object to compact materials
- Caulking gun
- Putty scraper
How to patch a hole:
- Scrape out weeds and debris.
- Sweep the area clean.
- Apply the filler.
- Level the filler
- Allow materials to dry.
Watch this video tutorial for more tips.
Cost Estimate for Hiring a Professional
Most people pay between $100 to $500 in labor costs when they hire a handyman to patch their driveway. The exact amount will depend on the extent of work your driveway needs and the expertise of your handyman. In some cases, you will save money if you purchase the materials yourself. In other cases, it is cheaper to let the contractor purchase the materials for you. Contractors sometimes mark up the price of materials, but they can also get them for less than you can sometimes. Also, if you won’t need a whole container to fix the cracks in your driveway, your contractor may not charge you for the whole thing since he can use the rest to fix someone else’s driveway. However, if you buy the materials yourself, you pay full price and are stuck with the half-empty containers. You can expect to pay between $25 and $100 for the asphalt-filling compounds.
There are certain projects that only professionals should attempt, but patching driveway potholes is not one of them. A driveway that is only slightly-to-moderately cracked is a project that many people can effectively tackle on their own. However, hiring a professional is relatively inexpensive and takes all the guesswork out of deciding whether or not you did it right. The choice is up to you.
After the repairs are made and the driveway looks almost new again remember you can do some simple things to help prolong the life of your driveway.
Not all damage to your driveway comes from cracking. Sun light and heat are just like with us humans a big aging factor. To read more about sunlight and heat affects check out Preventing Heat Related Damages to the Asphalt Driveway
If you want to hire someone to patch your driveway, click on the link to schedule one of our qualified professionals.
