Asphalt repair and sealing- diy-able?

[Itsjustdirt]

I repaired some plumbing and had to cut a 16”x40ft trench through my asphalt driveway. Is this something I can repair myself? Can I also seal the 50x40 driveway myself if it hasn’t been sealed in decades?

Quikrete 50 lb. Commercial Grade Blacktop Repair Patch 170152 - The Home Depot

Quikrete 50 lb. Commercial Grade Permanent Blacktop Repair Patch is designed to repair potholes and cracks over 1 in. wide in asphalt pavements. Provides superior placement and bonding characteristics

www.homedepot.com

1. I bought a few bags of this to test out. I followed the instructions, tamped it well, drove over it multiple times with plywood, but it still looks very “rough” or open. It looks more like black gravel than the rest of the smooth blacktop. Will it smooth out with time? Is there a better product to use?

2. The quikrete professional blacktop repair instructions say it is only good for confined areas, up to 2’x2’. Technically that means I shouldn’t use it in my 40’ long trench repair. If I can’t use this, what can I use? Any better options?

3. Does anyone have suggestion on what base and how much base to use? I’ve ready anything from simply compacting the soil, to using sand, to pea gravel, to 3/4 gravel. I’ve also heard I should leave room for anywhere between 1”-3” of asphalt repair filler.

4. Any reason I can’t seal the rest of the 40’x50’ driveway myself? Material/method suggestions?

Thank you in advance for any knowledge you can share.

 

[Itsjustdirt]

here is the picture of the first repair attempt with a very rough surface. Far tougher than the old blacktop. It looks more like black gravel than my smooth asphalt. Is this just what I should expect?

 

[mcj115]

I would suggest getting some heat on it such as a weed burner...then rent a tamper..i would normally think a plate tamper but since it is so narrow possibly a jumpin jack....i would fill then it in two lifts in small three foot sections while adding heat....overfill the trench and them run the compactor until level.

 

[rayra]

That's typical for a 'cold patch' repair. But if the trench cut thru the old asphalt was a vertical cut - and it almost always is - you had best hope you thoroughly compacted the fill that cold patch went over. A water-filled roller would be helpful in this, you can't really just pat it flat with a trowel or shovel and expect a good long term repair. You really need to put extra in the filled area and crush it down and in.

And ultimately the cold patch gets topped with sealer, anyway.
Henry makes a variety of asphalt emulsions and the hardware store will have the brushes / brooms you will need.

Also expect to destroy whatever clothes and shoes you wear for the project. That stuff gets everywhere and doesn't come out. I'd go so far as to say bag your feet and buy a disposable tyvek suit.

 

[CraigStu]

"Also expect to destroy whatever clothes and shoes you wear for the project. That stuff gets everywhere and doesn't come out. I'd go so far as to say bag your feet and buy a disposable tyvek suit."
Agreed. At the farm store near us they had rubber boots for $25 so I got them along w/ the tyvek.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/servuscomfort-technology-rubber-knee-rain-boot?cm_vc=-10005

Figure a place where you can take the tyvek and boots off before getting near the house.

 

[zak77]

You are wasting your time with that cold patch. It'll look ok for about a year but after that, the sun will break down the binder and it'll turning into small peddles. I used cold patch to fix a couple spots at my grandmother's house years ago and that was the result. More recently i had a small section, about 3'x4', of my asphalt driveway settle so i had my buddy come by and cut out the section. I then made sure there was nothing below to cause more settling, filled and compacted the area w/hardpack and a hand tamper then had my buddy bring in some asphalt and compact it with a small compactor. It cost me about $150 for his effort and it still looks great 6 years later. The pros do it this way for a reason. Ironically my neighbor has a paving company but this job was just too small for him to tackle.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

Diy and seal-yes.
Compaction is key, and the plywood did you no favors.
Rock size and amount of fines determines the look.
Probably a better deal to get your neighbor to drop off a ton of something from the plant than buy bags.

 

[Garcky]

16" x 40'? Oh, you'll need more than bagged mix for that. Best bet is to talk to an asphalt driveway company. It's too small a job, really, to be worth their coming out to fill it, but...if they have a nearby job coming up, you could probably talk them into doing that repair properly concurrently with the larger job they're doing.

Won't be cheap, but they have access to the hot asphalt, a roller, and will have a crew there for the big job they're doing. Your repair would be an "end of the day" job. You'll probably have to sweet talk the contractor and convince him that doing this is a worthwhile thing for him. But, once the repair is done, it will last for your, unlike the bagged stuff, which won't.

 

[ATC]

I probably would have poured concrete for that patch.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

A hand tamper with a small foot will do a better job than a plate compactor or just driving over it. Thin layers compact better than thick layers. I wouldn't worry too much about smothness until you get to the top layer. You can also check your area for someone to chip seal the entire drive. It's not expensive (probably comparable to your cold patch). They can fill small holes, smooth out the surface and leave the driveway with an even finish.

 

[nadogail]

We all have a learning curve, when we are doing a job for the first time the learning curve can be very steep.

Sometimes it looks we are reinventing the wheel.

 

[Bondo]

here is the picture of the first repair attempt with a very rough surface. Far tougher than the old blacktop. It looks more like black gravel than my smooth asphalt. Is this just what I should expect?

Ayuh,.... You really need hot mix, 'n a crew to install a quality repair,......
Yer patch looks like ****, because there's not near enough material in the hole, 'n it's not compacted near enough,.....

Both hot mix, 'n cold patch needs to be raked in, 'bout 3/4" to an inch high,(in a 2" deep box-out) then beat into place, flat, with a roller or plate tamper, covering the area from the sides, moving in, 'bout an inch at a time,....
The edges should be sharp/ crisp, 'n pinched into place,....

 

[ycgoat]

Once upon a time when I did utility work, We would saw cut the trench at least 2" down, pack the fill material with a foot tamp, add the cold patch, and foot tamp again, then call a paving company who would dig it out and repair it properly. There are more than one paving companies around here that will do 40' patches. Even after re-sealing you will be able to tell where the patch is unless you have it ground down and the entire driveway topped off first.

 

[P0234]

Not going to comment on the cold patch as I don't have any expereience there. But as to the sealer, its usually cheaper to have the pros do it than it is to buy the stuff and brushes at home depot. Around here in a major metro area they do average size driveways for $79. Add in the disposable clothing and time, and its more expensive to do it yourself.

 

[05snopro440]

This past fall I repaired my asphalt driveway were it sunk next to the garage with a product called Aquaphalt. Apparently some municipalities use it for pothole repair. It cures with water. The surface looks identical to the photo you posted of your cold patch result.
Mine is holding up well in our Alberta winter with freeze-thaw cycles and with vehicle traffic as the repair crosses in front of all three of our garage doors. You won't get the same finish as your existing driveway out of a patch product unless you compact it much more.