Cracks in your pavement are often seen as unsightly. But they’re also seen as a minor issue that doesn’t really matter in the long run. This article will provide you with 4 reasons why you should have the cracks in your pavement fixed. Cracks in your home or business’s pavement aren’t just an eyesore, instead they can also cause many issues.
How Do Cracks in Pavements Form?
Cracks in your business or home’s pavement can form for a variety of reasons. While you may have no control over the causes of the cracks forming, it’s important to be aware of how cracks form.
Here are some common reasons why cracks can form.
Exposure to water impacts the pavement
When pavement is exposed to water, this can lead to cracks. That’s because the moisture from the water makes the pavement less durable and strong. As the water permeates the pavement’s material, this causes the breakdown of the asphalt material. Exposure to water includes rain and snow, as well as sprinklers and other forms of moisture.
Changes in temperature impact the pavement
With different seasons comes different temperatures. That means that with the changing temperature, your asphalt will either expand or contract. This, thereby, causes cracks in the pavement since the asphalt cannot keep up with the seasonal changes in how it contracts and expands.
Exposure to outdoor elements
If your home and business gets a lot of traffic from vehicles or people using it, then it will tend to have more cracks as the asphalt weakens and deteriorates. Additionally, the pavement may become more prone to cracks if there tends to be more activity happening: think of construction and other forms of roadwork.
Overall, while you do not have full control of the cracks that form from the causes we’ve mentioned, you do have the ability to prevent cracks from getting larger, visible, and potentially unsafe.
4 Reasons to Address Cracks in Your Pavement
Here are 4 of the key reasons why you should address the cracks in your pavement.
1. Cracks can lead to potholes
If cracks are not addressed over a long period of time, then they can turn into potholes. Potholes are usually a sign of a pavement’s exposure to water for a long period of time. Potholes are not only unappealing to passerbys, but they’re also not safe and can cause harm to both people and vehicles.
2. Cracks can cause dips and lead to rutting
Potholes are not the only dips that can form within a pavement. Other types of dips can form. This makes the ground uneven and harsh. These dips can present issues for pedestrians as well as vehicles. Oftentimes, because these dips aren’t visible, they can be more dangerous than potholes that are more visible.
Rutting is when marks appear in the pavement. Usually, these marks include tire markers from cars or other vehicles. Rutting happens because asphalt is typically malleable and flexible. These ruts in the pavement can be compared to tire marks from a bike on a dirt road.
3. Cracks can lead to long-term financial losses
Not repairing cracks can cost you in various ways. For example, potholes and dips are more costly than simple cracks in the pavement.Not addressing these cracks can lead to greater issues like potholes and dips (which as was mentioned are more expensive).
In terms of business, cracks can drive away potential customers or clients because cracks are seen as a sign of poor management and maintenance of a place or building. Think about it: what thoughts come to your mind when you imagine places with cracks, dips and potholes?
4. Cracks can make outdoor activities difficult and unsafe
Cracks can make being outdoors stressful and difficult. If you’re looking to drive, walk, run, cycle or just enjoy your day, cracks can make those activities unenjoyable and unsafe. For families, repairing cracks can protect children and other vulnerable people from getting hurt. For businesses, repairing cracks will make driving and parking much more streamlined and less stressful.
Pavement Maintenance in Utah
If you’re looking for help with the cracks in your pavement, reach out to us at Precision Asphalt Maintenance. We can help you with repairing the cracks, preventing potholes, and maintaining the overall quality and durability of your pavement.
At Precision Asphalt, we help with: crack sealing, asphalt paving, seal coating, slurry sealing, asphalt maintenance, pothole repairs and much more. By using our services, you’ll have many options and solutions available to you.
What are you waiting for? Whether you’re in Salt Lake, Layton, Weber-Davis County or Heber, we can help you. Reach out to us regarding any questions or concerns that you may have. We will do our best to match your needs with the right services.
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