Okay, so the driveway’s been looking pretty rough lately. There were a couple of nasty cracks and potholes that were getting worse, and I figured it was time to do something about it before they turned into real problems. I’ve never really done asphalt repair before, but I’m pretty handy, so I decided to give this “hot asphalt patch” thing a try.
Getting Started
First things first, I gathered all the stuff I needed. This included:
- Bags of hot asphalt patch (I got a few, just in case)
- A tamper (the heavy thing you use to pound it down)
- A shovel
- A broom
- Gloves (asphalt is sticky!)
- A wheelbarrow (to move the asphalt around)
- Safety glasses(protect the eyes)
The Dirty Work
The first step was cleaning out the cracks and holes. I used the shovel to dig out any loose debris, dirt, and old, crumbling asphalt. I wanted a nice, clean surface for the new stuff to stick to. The broom came in handy to sweep away the smaller bits.
Then came the fun part (not really). I opened up the bags of the hot asphalt patch and started shoveling it into the wheelbarrow. It was heavier than I expected! I carefully wheeled it over to the damaged areas and started filling in the holes and cracks.
I made sure to overfill them slightly, because I knew it would compact down when I used the tamper. Speaking of the tamper, that was the next step. I used the tamper to pound the asphalt down as hard as I could. This was definitely a workout! I wanted to make sure it was really packed in there tight, so there wouldn’t be any air pockets.
Finishing Up
I repeated this process – filling, tamping, filling, tamping – until all the cracks and holes were filled and level with the rest of the driveway. Then,I took one last look, made sure there weren’t any spots I missed.
Honestly, it wasn’t the most glamorous job, but it was satisfying to see the driveway looking so much better. It’s definitely not a perfect, professional job, but it’s a huge improvement. And hey, I saved some money doing it myself! Now I can enjoy a smoother drive and less worry about those pesky potholes. I’m calling it a win!
