After a particularly wet season, it’s not uncommon for homeowners to discover that their once smooth asphalt driveway is now home to a few potholes. Besides being unsightly, these depressions can be rough on vehicles, causing damage to the undercarriage or wheels. Fortunately, it’s possible to prevent potholes, and if necessary, correct them with simple asphalt repairs. To help you protect your home’s pavement, here a few points you should know about potholes and how to address them.

How Do Potholes Develop?

The potholes you see on the surface occur due to changes under the pavement. Specifically, when moisture like rain or snow seeps into the soil below the asphalt. As temperatures drop throughout the winter, the water freezes and expands. This causes the ground to swell, pushing against the pavement above and causing cracks to form.   

Once the moisture thaws, the cracked asphalt will settle deeper into the soil. As vehicles travel over the spot, the depression will grow larger, causing a pothole to form.

How Can You Prevent Them?

In general, the best way to prevent potholes is to keep moisture from getting beneath the driveway.

Sealcoating is a thin layer of asphalt applied over your driveway to shield it from moisture and other elements. If cracks are present, hire an asphalt repair service to fill and seal them. You might also prevent soil erosion by improving your landscape’s drainage—especially around the edges of the driveway.

What Should You Do If Your Driveway Has Potholes?

Without immediate attention, potholes in your driveway will only continue to grow, exposing your pavement to more elements that can intensify the damage. To perform repairs, your paving company will clean out the pothole and fill it with fresh asphalt. The mixture is then compressed to keep the surface flat and even. A new layer of sealcoating should be applied to the restored surface to block moisture from seeping in.

If you discover potholes in your driveway, Bennett Paving offers comprehensive solutions to restore the surface—and prevent future problems from occurring. This experienced team performs swift and reliable asphalt repairs throughout the Cookeville, TN, area. Apart from driveway resurfacing and crack sealing, this paving contractor also offers streamlined seal coating services to ensure your driveway is defended against the elements. Visit them online to learn more about their capabilities or call (931) 858-4596 to request a custom estimate.