How to Repair Asphalt

Knowing how much asphalt filler you need for the project is key to successfully repairing your asphalt driveway. If you don’t have enough filler, you could end up rushing to the store while your partially filled driveway cures—leading to an uneven repair.

A 50-pound bag of asphalt filler covers around 6 to 7 square feet if you’re filling your driveway at a depth of 1 inch. Most driveways range from 200 to 800 square feet, so if you have a large driveway that needs several cracks or holes filled, you could need multiple bags of asphalt filler.

Before you can repair your asphalt driveway, you'll need to clean the surface in preparation. It's important to remove any plants, dirt, and debris so that any repairs properly adhere to the surrounding asphalt.

Use a putty knife to dig plants out of the cracks and a shovel to remove plants from larger potholes. A stiff broom or leaf blower can remove debris from the surface, while a pressure washer or garden hose and some water can really get in there to remove heavy or stuck debris in hard-to-reach areas.

If you have severely damaged sections of asphalt, but the majority of your driveway is in good condition, you’ll need to remove the weak spot to repair your driveway. To do this, use a gas-powered circular saw to disconnect the old asphalt. 

Any asphalt debris from the cleanup process can be recycled. Take your old asphalt pieces to an asphalt recycling company, or contact a waste removal pro near you to remove large sections of asphalt so that it can get repurposed.

You can fill simple linear cracks less than 1/2 an inch using cold-pour crackfill. Hot mix asphalt is best for cracks larger than 1/2 an inch. Follow the instructions on the fill to know how to use cold patch asphalt fillers correctly. 

If your asphalt cracks look like scales, they are called alligator cracks. These scaly intruders need to be removed before you can repair the driveway, as each individual piece is at risk of shifting and breaking again if you simply cover the cracks with filler. Repair the cracks using the patching method: Remove the loose pieces with a circular pavement saw first, then fill the hole with asphalt cold patch filler.

To patch a pothole, fill the hole with a pothole fix patch until it’s flush with the old asphalt material. Avoid overfilling or underfilling, as this can make your pavement bumpy and cause it to crumble faster.

Large potholes need a cold patch asphalt filler to fill them, but if you want to increase the stability of your asphalt, consider topping it off with hot mix asphalt as the top layer. This technique, called asphalt overlay, helps harden the surface layer of the repaired asphalt better than cold patch asphalt alone.

If you’re repairing a hole, you must compact the asphalt using a tamper or vibrating plate compactor. A tamper should get the job done for smaller holes, but large surface areas are better off using the vibrating plate compactor to tamp down the filler and keep it even.

Once you’ve compacted the asphalt and given it a smooth, level surface, wait for it to cure. The typical cure time is between 24 and 48 hours, but to be on the safe side, follow the instructions on your particular filler.

After your asphalt has cured, there’s no threat of sealing moisture inside the asphalt and weakening it. The best driveway sealer for asphalt is an asphalt emulsion sealer, an oil-based driveway sealer, or a latex-acrylic sealer. Coal tar sealers are banned in some communities due to the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), whereas water-based and fast-drying sealers have a shorter lifespan, making them less effective.

Now that you have the right sealer for your driveway, go ahead and apply the sealcoat over the repaired section—or all of your driveway if your entire driveway needs a new sealant. To seal your driveway cracks, use a wide paintbrush to cover the driveway with a thick, even layer of sealant. If you’re covering the whole driveway, use a broom or squeegee to spread your sealant evenly.

Applying sealcoating can be a laborious process, so consider hiring a driveway sealcoating pro near you to complete this task if you’re sealing a large driveway.

Most sealants need to dry for around eight hours before you can use the driveway or walk on it. However, allow your sealant to dry according to the suggested time on the instructions.

Some sealants require you to apply another, thinner layer over the top one for added protection. If the manufacturer recommends doing so, follow the instructions and apply a second layer of sealant with a broom. 

If you applied a second layer of sealant, wait for it to dry based on the instructions, and voila. Your driveway is as good as new.