When customers contact parking lot maintenance companies to repair the cracks in their pavement, they frequently ask how long it will take the crack filler to dry. It is natural for customers to want to know how long they will need to restrict access to their pavements. However, the drying time of the fill material can sometimes be misleading.
How Long Does Asphalt Crack Filler Take to Dry?
How Quickly Does Asphalt Crackfilling Material Dry?
Almost all Austin paving companies use the hot-pour method when performing asphalt crack sealing and filling. The fill material is heated to about 300 degrees Fahrenheit before the workers place it in the crack. Depending on the air and ground temperatures, the filler can dry in as little as 30 minutes, and it will rarely take more than an hour to dry. However, complete curing of the material can take two or three days. Until the curing process is complete, there is an increased risk that the filler could be dislodged, tracked, or damaged. After evaluating the type of traffic your pavement receives and the location of the repairs, your contractor will advise how long you should restrict traffic.
In most cases, you can allow pedestrian traffic to resume in an hour or so. If heavyweight trucks are driving across the crack, you may need to keep them off the pavement longer than you will need to prohibit passenger vehicles. Naturally, if the repair is near the edges of the pavement or limited to small, seldom-used areas, you can isolate those areas without impacting the rest of your parking lot.
What Is the Process for Filling Cracks in Asphalt Pavement?
Asphalt companies may vary slightly in the process that they use, but the fundamentals are the same. For an asphalt crack sealing job to be successful, the contractor must ensure that the crack is free from vegetation, dirt, and debris. Depending on the crack, he may need to router its interior to smooth the edges and help the filler bond properly to the pavement. The interior of the crack must also be free from moisture, so he may need to dry it before introducing a filler or sealer.
Most Austin paving companies will divide a pavement into sections and repair all cracks in one section before beginning work on the next. This helps minimize the disruption to the people who need to park in your lot, especially if you have a large or extremely busy parking lot. Experienced asphalt contractors know how to perform crack repairs in a way that will inconvenience you the least, and they are willing to work with you to meet your specific needs. Therefore, although the entire process will take a little longer than the short drying time of the filler might lead you to believe, it will still be of short duration. The exact duration will depend on the size of your parking lot, the number and size of the cracks in your pavement, and other factors that only your contractor can evaluate.
When You Want Premium Asphalt Services at Competitive Prices, Contact Alpha Paving
From our headquarters in Round Rock, Alpha Paving serves customers in Austin and Central Texas towns with exceptional work and superior customer service. Our asphalt paving services include crack sealing and filling, sealcoating, overlays, parking lot striping and pavement markings, speed bump installations, paving, traffic sign installations, street maintenance, milling, and road construction. Our customers include commercial property management firms, municipalities and countries, HOAs and subdivisions, airports, shopping centers and malls, apartment complexes, retailers, hospitals and other health care facilities, industrial and manufacturing facilities, restaurants, hotels and motels, recreational facilities, schools and universities, office parks, and religious institutions. You can submit our online form to request a free quote or call our office at 512-677-9001.
