Asphalt Cracks
Where do cracks come from?
There are several types of cracks, and the first step to fix a crack is to understand its type. Here are the crack categories that our team of professionals had identified throughout years of practicing driveway sealing:
Root Cracks
These cracks are caused by the roots of a tree that grows near the driveway. Roots are
pushing the asphalt from underneath, which leads to the open cuts on the surface of a driveway. It is common to see grass growing in these cracks, which only causes more damage to the asphalt.
How to fix?
These types of cracks are the most damaging, and cannot be fully fixed, however, our team of professionals know how to slow down the further destruction to your driveway. Ark Services group experts have designed a special treatment which includes deep cleaning of the crack, the removing of weeds and roots and then the appliance of the professional grade crack filler, which will not only cover the crack and hold the asphalt together, but also will not allow any weeds to grow. This crack filling procedure will greatly help and improve the longevity of a driveway, and dramatically slow the further growth of a crack.
Surface Cracks
These cracks appear almost on every driveway that is older than 3 – 4 years. What
causes these cracks is the bitumen depletion from the surface of a driveway (TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BITUMEN PLEASE READ HERE). To be short, asphalt is made from bitumen and stones. Bitumen is the oil-based material that holds stones of the driveway in place. After 3 years the bitumen depletes from the surface, and stones chip off from the driveway. The water gets there, and due to the freezing-thaw cycle, the crack appears.
How to fix?
Tiniest crack can be fixed by applying our oil-based sealcoating material. Our material is
made from bitumen, and when it is applied to the asphalt, it “refills” the required bitumen back to the asphalt. The cracks that haven’t been treated for awhile are getting larger every season, and they must be treated with our professional crack filler. By cleaning the cracks from the old dirt, we make sure that the crack filler will be applied right on the asphalt. By doing this properly, our experts ensure that the crack filler will hold on to the asphalt and will keep it protected for at least 2 – 3 years. Ark Services Group offers Crack Filling services throughout Toronto, Markham, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, and many other municipalities.
Side Cracks
Most driveways have cracks on the edges of the asphalt. They are caused by the water that
gets underneath the asphalt from the gaps on the sides of a driveway. Side cracks can cause a lot of damage, and even create new cracks.
How to fix?
Side cracks need to be properly cleaned. This is the most important step, because by
removing the dirt, we can make sure that our professional crack filler would be applied right into the crack and will hold two pieces of asphalt together.
Spider Web Cracks
Our team of experts identify this category of cracks as the most damaging, and the
most dangerous type. Usually, it is caused by years of poor treatment of a driveway, as well as the usage of a cheap water-based material. It is important to know the difference between water-based and oil-based sealcoating materials. (YOU CAN READ ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE IN DETAILS HERE). The water-based material covers the surface like a glue, and doesn’t allow any gasses to evaporate, which leads to the cracks and holes in the water-based material itself. Further, due to freeze-thaw cycle, these cracks transfer to the original asphalt. The other reason of the appearance of these cracks is the poorly paved asphalt, which can only be avoided by giving a contract to a trusted company.
How to fix?
Our team of experts recommends applying at least 4 times more oil-based material on the
damaged sector. This will greatly increase the binding between separate pieces of asphalt, as well as will not allow any water to sync into the crack. Ark Services Group offers Commercial and Residential Crack Filling and Asphalt Sealing Services throughout Markham, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Aurora and many other municipalities of the GTA.
What is the general procedure of crack filling?
The fixation of every crack starts with the proper examination. Our on-field team will examine the crack type, measure its length, and approximate the total cost. Then, if we are to proceed, the crack will be cleaned with the use of metal brushes. After that, we will blow away all the remaining dirt and sand with the commercial leaf-blower. When the crack will be clean and free from dirt, our on-field team will apply professional grade crack filler right on the crack. After the crack is filled, and the surface is dry, we will proceed with the driveway sealing, and the sealcoating material will lay on-top of the freshly filled crack. It takes about 24 - 48 hours until the crack filler turns to a stone-like form, and it stays within the crack, protecting it from further damage for at least 2 years.
Our Crack Filling Prices
We base our prices per foot of a crack. The price ranges between $1 – $1.5 per foot of a crack, depending on the width and depth of a crack itself.