How to Repair an Asphalt Pothole

In this video, Ask This Old House landscaping contractor Roger Cook teaches a homeowner how to fill a pothole in an asphalt driveway to make it safe.

Steps for Repairing a Pothole:

1. Use a shovel to dig out the excess rock, dirt, and other debris until you reach subsoil.
2. Use paver base to fill in the hole, compacting it with the tamper every 2 to 4 inches until you’re within 2 inches of finished grade.
3. Cut the edges around the rough hole to make a cleaner surface, using a wet saw with a diamond blade.
4. Dig out any remaining excess of rock, dirt, and debris.
5. Use a high-performance blacktop repair, which is a mix of stone and asphalt binder to fill in the hole.
6. Put it down in 1.5-inch-thick layers and smooth it out.
7. Compact each layer until the patch meets the edges.
8. Let it sit 3 to 4 weeks before making any turns on it with a car.

Fill Asphalt Driveway Cracks

Those fissures hold water, which can break up pavement when it freezes, and create a perfect home for weeds.

• Before temperatures dip below 60 degrees F, and after you clean out the weeds and debris, fill cracks between ½ inch and 1 inch wide with a meltable crack sealer, like those made by Dalton Enterprises.
• Press the rope-like sealer into the cracks just below the surface, as shown, then use a propane torch to melt the self-leveling sealer and permanently bond it with the asphalt.

Tools: