Repairing Asphalt Driveways From Studded Tires

Prepare Damaged Areas

• You can repair your driveway in almost any season, but it is better to wait for warm weather. Cold temperatures can prevent some materials from bonding, and it makes the existing driveway asphalt brittle and more difficult to shape. Shaping holes and cracks before filling them helps the repair materials stay put. Undercut the edges of the opening with a chisel and a hammer or mallet, widening the opening at the foundation. Avoid chiseling vertically straight, which will allow movement and lifting, especially in cold temperatures. Remove the particles with a broom or a utility vacuum and rinse out the openings with a hose.

Clean the Asphalt

• Asphalt sealers and repair compounds adhere better to a clean surface that is free from oils, tree sap and road residue. After sweeping and rinsing the driveway, scrub it with asphalt driveway cleaner and a stiff-bristle brush. If working on your hands and knees is difficult, use a stiff utility broom as a scrubber. Don’t use a wire brush, which can scar the asphalt. Rinse the cleaner off the driveway thoroughly, as soapy residue will also impede adhesion. Although some patch materials will bond if water is present, it is better to let the driveway dry first.

Repair Small Damage

• Driveway sealer and liquid tar act as patch primers when cracks and holes are coated with either of them. Unless your repair materials direct you otherwise, brush on the sealer or tar with a disposable paintbrush and proceed with the repair. Asphalt crack sealer and cold-patch asphalt are two common materials for repairing cracks and pits. If a crack is very narrow and you didn’t widen it with a chisel, load a tube of crack sealer in a caulk gun and squeeze the material into the crack. Forcing it down into the crack with a thin putty knife helps ensure that there are no air pockets and the opening is filled. Scrape the putty knife lengthwise over the crack to remove the excess. A small trowel or rigid chisel will apply cold-patch asphalt into holes, and the end of the tool is useful for packing it down.

Repair Large Damage

• If the studded tire damage has worsened to include wide cracks and large holes, cold-patch asphalt is the best repair material. Prime the opening, and use a shovel or a trowel to scoop up the compound and fill the opening. Compacting large openings is more challenging than small ones. Use a tamping tool, which is a rod with a handle on one end and a flat metal plate on the other. Grip the handle and pound the metal plate against the cold patch until it is as tight as you can make it. Add more compound and pack it down until the opening is level with the driveway. If the damage is quite deep, prime the opening, pour in a couple inches of gravel and add enough liquid asphalt to cover the gravel. Pack the remainder of the hole with cold patch until it is level with the driveway, tamping the material down to embed in the gravel. Disguise small and large repairs while protecting your driveway from further damage with a coat of asphalt driveway sealer applied over the whole driveway.