Asphalt Repair in Baton Rouge, LA

Asphalt repair is often the smartest money a Baton Rouge property owner can spend. A driveway or lot that is mostly sound does not need to be torn out because of a few bad areas. It needs those areas cut out, the wet or soft base under them corrected, and new hot mix compacted in their place. Done that way, a repair blends into years of service. Done as a shovel of cold patch in a hole full of rainwater, it is back after the next storm.

Why asphalt fails in spots here

Nearly every local failure traces back to water. Baton Rouge gets rain on more than 110 days in a typical year. A crack that has been open for a few seasons lets that water into the stone base, the soil underneath softens, and the asphalt above starts flexing under every tire until it breaks into alligator cracking and then a pothole. Low spots where water stands, downspouts emptying onto the pavement and aprons sagging over a failed driveway pipe are the other usual suspects.

Some cracks have a different cause. Shrink-swell soils open long cracks during dry spells, often near lawn edges and trees. In parts of the city, the Baton Rouge and Denham Springs-Scotlandville faults move slowly enough to measure in inches per decade, and that movement shows up as cracks and steps in pavement that line up across neighboring properties. Those cracks can be sealed and patched, but they will tend to return, and we tell you when that is what we are looking at.

How we repair

Saw-cut patching

We cut a clean rectangle around the damaged area, past the edge of the cracking, and remove the broken asphalt. Wet or soft base is dug out and replaced with compacted stone. The edges get a tack coat, then hot mix is placed and rolled flush with the surrounding surface. This is the standard repair for potholes and alligator-cracked areas.

Edge rebuilding

Broken edges along a lawn or ditch are cut back to sound asphalt, the base is extended and compacted, and new asphalt is placed and backed with soil so the edge is supported.

Crack sealing

Cracks wider than a hairline are cleaned and filled with hot-applied rubberized sealant. Keeping water out of the base is the cheapest way to prevent the next pothole.

Sunken aprons and trench cuts

Where an apron has dropped over a failing pipe, or a utility trench has settled, we find out why, correct the base or pipe, and bring the surface back to grade.

Repair, resurface or replace?

If the failures are scattered and the rest of the surface is firm, repair is the right call. If the whole surface is gray and cracked but still firmly supported, resurfacing may make more sense. If failures cover most of the area, replacement is usually the better value. We tell you which category your pavement falls in and why.

Timing

Hot-mix patches need a dry hole and a dry base. In Baton Rouge that is less about the season and more about waiting a day or two after heavy rain. Cold patch is a temporary fix for emergencies, and we tell you when that is what you are getting.