What’s a good way to repair a crack in blacktop?

[gahrajmahal]

Hello wise members of the GJ! Todays question is about the best way to repair a continuous wide crack that has returned to our (seems like it’s new) driveway.

Blacktop Drive #448 -vs- ???

I have requested three quotes from contractors to replace our asphalt driveway. All three are to remove the old completely, add new gravel, compact and install new asphalt. Two of the quotes state #448 grade. The third is a hand written quote from a contractor I met who stated he uses a better...

www.garagejournal.com

So, above is the initial request for schooling on “how to replace a blacktop driveway”. The title asks for help with the compacted gravel layer. As always, several learned members stepped up and made me sound smart when speaking with the contractors that did the job. This was in 2016. The driveway has looked great for the past seven years. The crack across the driveway returned last year in almost the same spot as originally. I went to several box stores and ended up with something rubbery in a jug meant for filling blacktop cracks. I squeezed it into the crack during some of the hottest summer days. Prior to that I poured some type of “blacktop epoxy” I had purchased. It was much thinner and a smaller volume Meant to adhere the joint together.

Next to the cement sidewalk I used a gray crack sealer. That has seemed to hold up better, but that crack has not widened as much as the driveway one.

The contractor that did the driveway said to never have the driveway sealed. That would just shorten the life they said, then told me all the reasons it was bad. My experience is to seal the driveway every three years or so especially once it starts to crack. Here in cold Ohio, water gets into the cracks and freezes making short work of breaking up a smooth driveway.

Here are current photos. What do you recommend?
Thanks!

 

[nadogail]

Just a guess, but how do you think black brutal caulking would work?

 

[Stelzer]

Having dealt with this on my own driveway for 20 years, I haven't found a solution from a box store which is anything better than temporary. Some of those products could last a year or two, or even three, but I think it's just putting a band-aid on a much bigger underlying problem. I'm in Oregon, so we aren't subjected to the extreme colds like you get, which might account for some of the cracking you've experienced via freeze/thaw cycles. Could also be insufficient compaction, base layer, etc.

If it were my driveway, I'd first fill the crack about half way with sand, then use a hot-pour filler. I'm not saying it's the best way, but it is the way I'd do it. As to whether or not to seal your driveway, I think it would absolutely be beneficial for you to seal it after you've filled the crack. Be sure to follow manufacturer's recommendations regarding dry/cure times of fillers before applying any seal coat.

 

[vwpieces]

Sub'd as I am watching YT asphalt crack fill vids Right Now.
Leaning on Crack Stix melt in filler ATM.

On another note is doesn't seem like the local big box store are stocked up on the driveway products in my area. Understandable as it snowed 2 days ago.

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,...... Mom, 'n Dad had their driveway paved in the late '70s, or early '80s(donno for sure, as I was gone then),....
That driveway had a big ole crack like that, like that one, pretty close to a grade change,.....

I drive by that driveway quite often now, 'n that crack is Still there, 'n the rest of the driveway is holdin' up pretty good too,....

With nearly 30 years of blacktoppin' behind me now, I suggest ya do what Dad did,..... Ignore it,.....
The width will change over the course of the seasons,.....
Mother earth is gonna flex 'er muscles, so ya might as well play with 'er, as she Always wins,....

Hot melt asphalt might get ya a few years, but it'll eventually come back,......

 

[gahrajmahal]

Hi all, thanks for the comments. The guys who did the replacement knew about the driveway cracking in this spot and I think they might have reinforced the area with a membrane of some sort. They had a small steam roller to compact the fill. They added several dump loads of new fill once the old blacktop was removed.

Here in Ohio we have clay soil and it does move around with the seasons. On occasion we have temperature extremes from below zero in winter to 100+ in summer. We also can have excessive rains or go weeks with none creating droughts. So, really difficult for any product to be a complete success.

commercially or on the roads they will use hot tar to fill these cracks and I think I might have to find someone to do that. If you know of any other method a homeowner could take don’t hesitate to chime in.

 

[ive]

Following this thread with interest.

 

[jonshonda]

Fill with sand until the Crack is 1" deep, then fill with crack sealer. Don't over think it....it's a freaking crack in a driveway. Fix and move on!

 

[zak77]

Crack Stix!! Wont be permanent but expect 2-3 year minimum. I suggest getting a small cast iron pot and melt the stix in that then pour it in. Goes a lot faster than using a torch.

 

[gahrajmahal]

While looking for Crack Stix I Came across this Family Handyman article that explains the process.

Asphalt Repair and Crack Filling

Learn how to do asphalt repair to pits the right way. They're more than just an eyesore; they actually speed up the wear of your driveway.

www.familyhandyman.com

 

[check251]

I have similar cracks in my driveway. I tried the stuff in the caulking tube, put down sand first.
They tell you to apply it when it is warm but the cracks are narrower then. so, during the winter they'll expand again.
Basically it didn't work well. Waiting to hear if someone here has a better fix. I'm skeptical.

 

[bbxlr8]

While nothing short of redoing it is permanent, I have gotten reasonable life repairing similar big cracks by using sand/fine gravel to make up the base. Let that settle over time/rain etc. Then follow & pack tight with a liberal top fill of the HD trowel grade patch that comes in buckets. I sometimes do a top coat of the "best grade" latex coating for cosmetics.

Per above - Don't expect miracles and don't overthink it

 

[rancherbill]

The county would come out and pour some hot "tar" like substance into the crack.

The objective is to prevent water getting under the pavement.

I'm just spit balling, but, get a pail of roof tar and heat it really hot with a Tiger Torch. Fill the ****. Do it again after a day or two once the tar cools and has gone through daily heat and cool cycles.

 

[jkuro]

Water getting under the driveway and freezing. This expands the earth under the drive and heaves the driveway. Best fix is to try and eliminate the water. Put some drain tile along each side of the driveway to stop the water from undermining the drive, then fill the crack. Alot of cities put in curb drains when putting in new roads to prevent this same problem. Another option is to move south where it doesn't freeze.

 

[vwpieces]

These pics taken from second floor window. Part of the lot in front of shop.


Asphalt has been neglected with cracks in the middle.
Just coating this house with 3 driveways/parking lots is a huge undertaking. One lot in front of house can park 6 cars. I once caught a commercial sealing guy across the street at the bank and asked for a quote. He measured the front of house and as I watched him from the window go to the lot in front of shop. He walked to the shop, looked left and right and went back to this truck. I never did get an estimate. I have been here 4 years and this past winter the cracks have noticeably gotten worse, it certainly time to address the lots.

After looking around I am no longer considering Crack-Stix. Too many crack in all the lots here.
New plan: Buy the 50# block of commercial grade, melt it on the gas grill in a large pot (yes Karen, I know... I'm gonna Die... someday), use a Tea pot or coffee pot with a spout that I acquired from a thrift store on the cheep. Also looking at some crack squeegee's on amazon. Maybe I can score a turkey fryer on the cheep too.

 

[kbs2244]

the road dept would fill to 1 inch with sand and then pour hot tar

it has worked for generations

 

[HoosierBuddy]

The crack stix solution with a torch works well for large cracks. I had a nice sized one in my driveway. Got the stix, got a torch, borrowed a 20# propane cylinder and had a blast. You need to be able to press or hammer the stix into the crack to use as designed. Where cracks are too thin for that, the melt it and then pour it method would probably be much better.

Anyway...after mine was all done we resealed the driveway and that made the crack 90% invisible and filled in the smaller cracks. Got me some quality one-on-one time with my 20-year old son who was home for summer break from college and helped me with the project. A real win-win.

Good luck OP!

 

[vwpieces]

Grabbed the 50# box of crack melt today.
FYI: bunch of driveway tools on clearance @ Lowes
Squeegees $3
Brush heads with squeegee for $2.50
No handles

 

[gahrajmahal]

Four years, and here is the report as of now. Summer of 2025 I paid a local blacktop company to come out and seal coat the driveway. I showed them photos on my phone of the crack and they reassured me the crew knew how to successfully repair cracks like this using “cold patch”. There would be an additional charge depending on how many bags they used. Well, I know what cold patch is. It’s the gravel soaked in tar that comes in a bag that you compress into your pothole. Its success is measured by how well you compress it. If a vibratory plate compressor is used, it’s pretty good. Especially if it is followed by a hot tar edge seal.

The day of the driveway seal was very hot out. Good for driveway results but hard on a crew. I had a cooler of cold drinks and some snacks too. The crew showed up as high as I’ve ever seen a group of workers since the 70’s, but they were super nice, didn’t complain and wanted to do a good job on our driveway. The small cracks were sealed with hot tar, and the large crack was filled with cold patch and a board was bridged over and hammered with a claw hammer. They did a very careful application of driveway sealer and it looked flawless.

Fast forward a week and the cold patch had sunk down, so I got my 6’ spud bar. It has a 3” diameter tamping end, and I compressed the cold patch into the crack. I then asked the crew to return and hot tar the edge of the crack on both sides as they didn’t do that the first time. With some grumbling from the owner, they came and did some more sealing that way.

Our gutters drain onto the driveway adding to the water running off whenever it rains, so winters freeze-thaw was the test I was looking for. The crack continued to open up.

Also during that driveway tune up in 2025, I filled a gap between our stone retaining wall and a saw line in the blacktop. During the retaining wall repairs the blacktop had crumbled and I decided to cut a straight line with my circular saw and a masonry blade. I then dug down 10” or so and made a concrete “gutter” meant to carry the water away from the back of the stone wall and into the yard, which it did. A one inch wide crack opened up between the blacktop and the gutter.

Following the advise of this thread I purchased a large bucket of “crack stix “ and a torch. I attempted to use it at the small end of the wall to blacktop crack with poor success. I also attempted to use it between the driveway blacktop and the concrete garage pad. Both places were a failure as they didn’t do crack stix would not consistently stick to both sides of the crack. This could be the dissimilar materials. I tried pre heating, multiple layers and YouTube university for an answer. In the end I returned it back to Home Depot telling them I used 10 feet from the bucket and I understood if they wouldn’t refund my money, but the clerk must have been having a good day and back it went.

During my crack stix research I came across another product. A mortar product meant for blacktop repair. Under the brand “Rapid Set” blacktop repair mix. I used that prior to the driveway seal and it has held up pretty nicely. I sealed both edges of that with “Sika flex” blacktop caulk. Both of these products are spendy compared to other products in the big box store isles, but in this case, you get what you pay for.

Last week I chiseled out the large driveway crack in preparation for filling with Rapid Set mortar style crack filler. Of course, one bag wasn’t enough to fill the crack. It’s been raining since then, so the last three feet is still waiting. My slow work pace is why I’m just now updating this thread.







The Rapid set going in and before trowling smooth.


How their repair looked after one year.




This is the stone retaining wall to blacktop junction, where last year I used the rapid set material to fill a large 1” crack between the two.

 

[carcruse]

For a crack that wide, I'd use a backer rod before putting down any asphalt crack sealant.

 

[Redraptor]

For a crack that wide, I'd use a backer rod before putting down any asphalt crack sealant.

For a crack that wide, I'd have it cut out and hot patched. Maybe some rebar for good measure!
I got a similar crack going although not quite as bad. I may try those products.

 

[gahrajmahal]

For a crack that wide, I'd use a backer rod before putting down any asphalt crack sealant.

Carcruse, sorry for the tiny photos. Since I was adding six or so I chose small. You cannot see that the crack is much wider than deep. The original blacktop is lining the bottom of the wide crack. The new blacktop surface (now ten years old or so) is only about 1-1/2 “ thick here.

For a crack that wide, I'd have it cut out and hot patched. Maybe some rebar for good measure!
I got a similar crack going although not quite as bad. I may try those products.

Here is the frustrating part. If you looked at my old thread regarding replacing the driveway,I had that very same crack in the original drive. This was pointed out to every contractor I requested a quote from. The guys I went with sold me on scraping off the old surface, adding several dump loads of base material and rolling it into place. They also mentioned some sort of mesh reinforcement in this transition area although it wasn’t in the quote. They were surprised when the county inspector showed up and viewed their prep work to sign off on a permit I got for the project. When I checked, a permit was necessary so I just started it. The crew was unfamiliar with it. Turns out, the first six or eight feet by the road needs to be a minimum depth of compacted base and the blacktop material needs to be thicker too. That is so the county can back up a salt truck on your driveway without crushing it, then being responsible for repairing it.

I used my air chisel to remove the cold patch after sweating like a pig using a pick axe to remove a portion of the fill. That is when I discovered the blacktop is no more than two to three inches there and there is no reinforcement mat in this area. Like most things I take on myself, I cannot trust that contractors I hire will do the best job possible even when it is clearly discussed prior to hiring them for the job. I had this again when I hired out replacing the T-111 siding on the south side of our house with Hardy panels. I had used LP Smart Side stucco’s panels which rotted. The stucco panels cover a large chimney chase that is covered with a stainless chimney cap. The cap is heavy and easily caught by the wind but should have been removed so that is one of the reasons I hired it out. That, and I don’t think I could no longer hoist a 4 x 8 sheet of hardy panel by myself anymore. Despot all this, they did not remove the chimney cap so it could be trimmed out so insects, rain and wind would be unable to get in there. This I discovered when I painted the south side myself. (Don’t mind being on a ladder 20 ft. Up, just cannot lift and fasten at that height anymore). So, I just sealed it up myself rather than fight with the contractor.

 

[gahrajmahal]

Hey, I missed my photo of the trowled Rapid Set. I still need to get another bag to finish the last three foot. It’s been raining every day and I have been installing a hardwood floor in my grandsons room.



I might reseal the driveway myself if I can do it before it gets cold out.

 

[carcruse]

For a crack that wide, I'd have it cut out and hot patched. Maybe some rebar for good measure!
I got a similar crack going although not quite as bad. I may try those products.

Normally, that would be my recommendation also, however, since the crack came back in the same place, more than a hot patch is probably needed or it will just reappear. Re-bar will not work on asphalt as asphalt is considered a flexible material. He has been trying to fill the crack and in the photos, it appeared the crack was wide and deep. To save on joint sealer a backer rod is usually also used. Some recommend adding sand as a filler before the joint sealant, however, sand will subject to freeze/thaw and will be more likely to cause joint sealant failure than using a backer rod. Also, with all the small "spider web" cracks that appear to be starting elsewhere, I would also recommend sealing the entire drive.

 

[Stuart in MN]

It looks like that crack is more or less where the driveway suddenly changes slope. I suspect it's sort of a hinge point, as the ground moves around seasonally the crack will always return. What if you cut a slot across the driveway and put in a row of bricks, set in polymeric sand? It would even look like a decorative accent instead of a repair.

 

[gahrajmahal]

Stuart, you come from a land that has extreme temperature swings too, so I know I’m fighting a losing battle. I know the Rapid Set product will crack in time. I think it will adhere to the substrate better than the cold patch and with occasional application of the Sika caulk, I can keep most of the water from getting underneath it whereas the cold patch is mostly porous. Time will tell.

Thanks all for your comments and interest!

 

[gba2331]

I have been very happy with Aquaphalt to fill in larger cracks. I haven’t gone thru a winter season yet but it seems promising.

 

[gahrajmahal]

Gba2331, thanks for the link! That looks like a good product. How much for a bucket and where do you buy it? I think the Rapid Set is a very similar product. It has pebbles in with the binder and is dark grey in color.

 

[gba2331]

I bought from Zoro with a coupon. It’s not cheap but so fr it’s working and I think will last longer than the coldpatch. There are different aggregate sizes so you might want the finest.