If you were to ask 100 drivers to give you their opinion of potholes, you would be hard-pressed to find one individual who expressed a fondness of holes in the pavements on which they drive. Potholes have been the subject of countless cartoons, figured into the plots of various sitcom episodes, and sparked lively discussions in the social media as well as in town hall meetings. It seems that no one likes potholes, including people who own or manage a business, represent a homeowner association, or hold a municipal position that involves street maintenance. If you want to enhance safety on your pavement, avoid additional damage, and save money, you should schedule your asphalt repair procedures before winter storms into town.
How Does an Asphalt Repair to Fix a Pothole Improve Safety?
Imagine you are driving down a city street that has a posted speed limit of 40 mph, which you are obeying. Suddenly, your tire strikes a large, deep pothole. Potentially, your tire could be destroyed, your vehicle could be propelled into a car in another lane, or your car’s suspension, oil pan, and undercarriage could be damaged. If you change the car to a motorcycle, the consequences of striking a pothole can be even more disastrous. Now imagine you are walking across a parking lot or street when you encounter a pothole obscured by fallen leaves or standing water. Potentially, you could sprain your ankle, or you could even suffer a broken bone if you trip and fall. If you are skeptical, American drivers spend roughly $3 billion annually to repair vehicles damaged by potholes, according to Forbes, and thousands of people suffer pothole-related injuries.
How Might an Asphalt Repair Prevent Additional Pavement Damage?
A small pothole or crack in your asphalt pavement may not seem important, but any parking lot maintenance company can verify that small pavement breaks can turn into major damage very quickly. This is especially true if the damage is not repaired before the weather turns cold. During warm weather, water can flow through pavement breaks, damage the foundation, and become trapped deep inside the structure of the pavement. When the ground freezes, the water turns to ice and expands, exerting pressure on the pavement both horizontally and vertically. Cracks turn into small potholes, small potholes turn into large ones, and large potholes turn into craters. Before long, water and ice have done so much damage that alligator cracking develops.
How Might Neglecting Asphalt Repairs Impact Costs?
Typically, it costs less to repair a little damage than to repair a lot of damage. Asphalt crackfilling to close a crack usually costs less than asphalt patching to mend a pothole, asphalt patching to fix a small pothole costs less than asphalt patching to fix a large pothole, and asphalt patching is significantly less expensive than tearing out and rebuilding an entire pavement. Most experienced asphalt contractors know of at least one instance in which an inexpensive parking lot repair could have prevented a major renovation or reconstruction.
For Help Getting Your Pavement Ready for Winter, Contact MH Greeson
With years of asphalt paving experience, a reputation for exemplary craftsmanship, and a commitment to helping our customers find the best solution to their paving issues, we have the resources and skills to make sure that your pavement is ready for whatever winter might bring. At MH Greeson Paving, We offer an extensive range of pavement-related services, including asphalt crackfilling, bollard painting, parking lot striping, asphalt sealcoating, traffic signs, asphalt repair and patching, bollard installation, asphalt paving, and wheel stops. If you would like to request a free quote, simply submit the online form, or you can call us at 770-335-2983.
