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How do I know my asphalt needs attention?

Often, much like with a car engine that needs oil changes as a regular form of maintenance, you don’t need to wait for signs of problems to take action. Just like that engine, it can be too late for the simplest maintenance when signs of trouble show up. 

If your asphalt has never been sealed, it should be looked at to determine the proper maintenance plan which can include sealcoat, asphalt overlays, or removing and replacing sections of pavement. 

Recommendations to maintain your asphalt surface

    1. If you just had your pavement installed, it should receive it’s first coat of sealcoat within the first two years of it’s life. From there on, it should be on an approximately 5-7 year maintenance schedule. 

    2. Do not pressure wash your asphalt. Pressure washing simulates years of wear and tear on your asphalt surface instantly by knocking out the small rocks, causing it to become coarser, making room for dirt, water and moss. All of those cause deterioration to the asphalt. As time goes on the surface will start to unravel. Unraveling is bigger rocks coming out of the surface of the asphalt, and that is one of the ways of how potholes form.

      Unraveling
      Unraveling

    3. Keep the surface clean and free of rocks, pine needles, leaves and moss. This is best done by sweeping or blowing the debris off the pavement.   

      Moss on pavement
      Moss on pavement

    4. Keep organic growth under control with regular cleaning (see above) and your preferred brand of weed killer.  

Signs of issues with your subgrade

  • Water pushes through the asphalt creating constant wet spots

  • Gatored areas with mud poking through   

    Gatored area
    Gatored area

  • Dip or depression in the asphalt 

  • Build up, or a raised area with cracks 

    Root under asphalt
    Root under asphalt

The above are all signs of an issue with the subgrade, which is the foundation of any asphalt surface. Subgrade is series of compacted layers of different kinds of gravel. If organics such as roots, stumps, clumps of grass or anything else that decays, is part of your subgrade, it is only a matter of time before it shows.  

Need to Hire a Contractor?

Here are some great tips when hiring a contractor in Oregon and Washington:

Licensed, Bonded and Insured

To protect your property and your investment you should always check with the Construction Contractors Board to make sure the company you are hiring is licensed to perform the construction or repair. Every construction company has to pass the State exam and be licensed, bonded and insured to do business in the state of Oregon. The role of the CCB is to make sure that the company carries the proper amount of insurance and proper amounts of bonds in case something does go wrong at the job site.

A contractor should never give you a hard time if you ask for proof that they are licensed, bonded and insured. If they do, that should be a red flag to give the CCB a call and find out. You can also check online for Oregon and for Washington.

Bids

Get bids from more than one licensed contractor, and don’t automatically take the lowest bid. Cheaper isn’t better, there is a reason why it is low! What are those reasons? The contractor didn’t bid everything and your price will either go up as the job begins or the contractor will take shortcuts and use cheaper materials, and you will not have a quality product in the end.

Communication

Make sure you communicate clearly with your contractor, don’t assume they know what you want. Be as specific as possible, read the details in the contracts. If your contractor doesn’t acknowledge a particular request, re-iterate it, don’t assume they heard you. Communication is as much of a responsibility of a client as it is for a contractor. Miscommunications and assumptions are costly for both parties and create hard feelings that no one wants. The contractor wants the job to go as smooth as possible just as much as you do.

Best practice: while the phone call is a good way to initiate the contact, it is best to communicate further via e-mail, simply because you will have proof of the conversation. You should always read the contracts and change orders before signing them.

Reputation

Unless the contractor is brand new, it is typical for them to have references you can call on. You can ask the contractor for them, or may be you already know someone or some place where they have done work. Call and make sure the client was happy with the job and the process.

Click Here for More Valuable Resources from the Oregon CCB

 

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