To a homeowner, all asphalt cracks are the same, yet there are a variety of causes. Knowing how they get started helps understand how to prevent them or delay them from worsening. Asphalt professionals know the difference.

• Edge Cracks. These appear near the edges of the pavement, caused by poor soil, subgrade materials, or lack of lateral support. Roots from natural growth can lift the edges of the asphalt. Repairs can be accomplished by excavating the material around the crack until reaching a solid layer and resurfacing the pavement.
• Reflection Cracks. This is the result of careless paving techniques where new asphalt was installed over broken or damaged asphalt. It has low adhesion and eventually breaks apart. It must be torn up and replaced.
• Surface Cracks. These small hairline crack appear on most asphalt surfaces after years of aging. As asphalt oxidizes from the sun's UV Rays, the binder material can break down and cause these various small cracks. They do not fully penetrate the entire depth of the pavement, thus, the name surface cracks.
• Fatigue Cracking. This is also known as "alligator" cracking, appearing as small cracks in clusters. It is caused by repetitive heavy loads where the asphalt layers are thin. It can only be repaired by tearing out the crack areas and replacing them with sturdier layers.

Call the Asphalt Repair Professionals

At Maintain It All, we are experienced experts when it comes to determining the causes for asphalt damage and finding long-lasting solutions. Contact us before the cracks in your pavement get worse and the damage becomes costly to repair.