Asphalt Driveway Preparation

In order to save money when hiring a professional to seal your driveway with asphalt, simplify the process and prepare as much of the area as possible before they arrive. Damages to your driveway, such as cracks and holes, create open spaces beneath the asphalt, which make the new asphalt more susceptible to even more cracks and holes, especially when water freezes and expands under the surface. Fix these damages to create a driveway that is ready for paving immediately, reducing the cost of having a company prepare the site before they begin.

Things You'll Need

• Chalk
• Concrete dressing
• Water
• Putty knife
• Concrete repair caulk
• Caulking gun
• Concrete patching material
• Trowel

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Inspect your driveway for any cracks and mark them with chalk to keep track of their location.

   • 2

     Combine four parts concrete dressing with one part water to fill small cracks of 1/8 an inch wide or smaller. Fill these cracks with the mixture, using a putty knife.

   • 3

     Insert concrete repair caulk into cracks between 1/8 and ½ an inch using a caulking gun. Smooth the finish with a putty kife.

   • 4

     Fill the holes with concrete patching material, which are between ½ and 4 inches wide. Smooth the material with a trowel.

   • 5

     Allow all repairs to set or cure before the driveway is sealed.