Can I Put It Off Until Next Year?

What Can Wait – and What Can’t – When It Comes To Maintenance

When it comes to maintaining asphalt surfaces, not all issues carry the same level of urgency. At Black Pearl Asphalt, we believe in helping our clients make smart, budget-conscious decisions when it comes to their pavement – whether its a parking lot, driveway, roadway, or anything in between – so we’ve come up with this quick guide to help you prioritize your asphalt maintenance. 

High Priority Repairs

Some repairs take high priority over others. Wherever possible, this should be done ASAP and not put off until future asphalt seasons. 

1. Potholes: Potholes aren’t just visually unappealing, they’re major safety hazards to both people and the asphalt itself. Left untreated, potholes will always continually grow and allow water to infiltrate deeper into pavement. They are responsible for weakening pavement layers, especially at the base, and risk damaging vehicles and patrons. For many companies, this can also cause issues with liability insurances. Fixing potholes promptly will prevent more extensive (and expensive) repairs in the future, and help protect property owners from liability damages.

2. Deep cracking: Deep or extensive cracks, such as alligator cracking, can signal base failures, extensive moisture in the pavement, or general deterioration that is unaddressed. For several reasons (which we’ve outlined here), we always recommend crack repair on an annual basis.

Medium Priority Maintenance

For smaller issues with less urgency, we generally suggest addressing these within 6-12 months. If you are working with constrained timelines or budgets, these might be able to put off a year, but shouldn’t be put off too long. 

1. Drainage Issues: Pooling water on pavement causes rapid deterioration. If you notice standing water after rain, your drainage system may be compromised. Addressing this early can prevent costly surface and sub-base erosion. If drainage issues are accompanied by other damages, it should move up in priority.

2. Small surface cracks: Small, linear cracks may not seem urgent, but they’re early warning signs of worse damages. Without fail, they will typically worsen over winter months with moisture and temperature fluctuations expanding these cracks. Sealing them annually prevents water intrusion and delays the need for more extensive repairs. When small enough, they can be put off for a bit, but should be addressed as soon as reasonably possible once they appear.

3. Unsealed pavement: Sealer has a lifespan of its own, eventually eroding away. Once this happens, the asphalt base becomes exposed to these erosive elements and deterioration will generally speed up. If pavement reaches a point where it is unsealed, this should be addressed within a year to prevent more expensive damages and costly future repairs. 

Lowest Priority Issues

These issues, as described, are the easiest to put off a year or more. While they will move up in priority the longer they are deferred, they can be dealt with at a later date in many cases. 

1. Sealcoating: Sealer is what protects pavement from UV rays, water, oil spills, and similar erosion. While important for longevity, this process is not needed on an annual basis. Depending on site traffic, sealcoating is generally recommended every 2-4 years. If you’ve had it done recently, and there is not any part of pavement that is notably unsealed, this process can be put off for a year or two if needed. 

2. Faded Striping and Markings: While not structural, worn-out striping affects safety and compliance – especially in commercial lots. To keep traffic flowing smoothly and comply with ADA requirements, it's good to plan to restripe every 1-2 years. However, if lines are still clear and undamaged, this is a low priority repair item.

3. Cosmetic Damages: Scuffs, surface wear, or light raveling are mostly aesthetic issues. Hot weather can soften asphalt and rubberized surfaces can start to pull up with heavy traffic, but damages are only surface deformations and don’t compromise structural integrity immediately. Cosmetic and aesthetic damages should be monitored for further deterioration, but can generally be addressed as part of broader maintenance work. 

4. Concrete: The level of damage to concrete can shift its priority level, since it shares many of the same risks as asphalt. However, concrete is not limited by a short repair season the way that asphalt is. Repairs to concrete can take place over the asphalt off-season if needed, or can take place at the same time as pavement maintenance. This flexibility allows for concrete repairs to take lower priority when considering whether or not to put off maintenance work. 

Final Thoughts

Prioritizing asphalt repairs isn’t just about preventing damage, but also about smart budgeting. Fixing the right issues at the right time extends the life of your asphalt and saves you money in the long run. This list seeks to help our clients decide what is best maintenance plan for them. However, more extensive replacement options, such as overlays or repaving, are a case-by-case scenario that should be addressed with an estimator or asphalt expert to best understand these processes and their urgency.

Many established asphalt companies, including Black Pearl Asphalt, will also allow customers to lock in pricing over the off-season in many cases if work needs to be completed in phases. We will continue to offer free estimates to help you find out which work your pavement needs, personalized maintenance plans for your needs and requests, and are always willing to work with your budget and any timeline restrictions you may have. Contact our office with any questions or requests you may have.