Crack Sealing in Peoria, AZ

Crack sealing fills open cracks in asphalt with a flexible, hot-applied rubberized sealant. In the West Valley, cracks form as the sun hardens the asphalt and daily heating and cooling open and close them. On their own, cracks are cosmetic. The trouble starts when monsoon storms send water through them into the base. Wet base softens, the asphalt flexes, and cracks spread and turn into potholes. Sealing cracks before storm season stops that cycle.

Crack sealing vs crack filling

Crack filling packs material into cracks that are not moving much. Crack sealing uses a flexible, rubberized sealant that stretches as the crack opens and closes with temperature. Desert pavement can swing 50 degrees or more between night and mid-afternoon, so flexible sealant usually lasts longer here.

Mastic for wide cracks

Cracks too wide for standard sealant, and shallow depressions along them, can be filled with a mastic: a thick, hot-applied mixture of asphalt binder and aggregate. It levels wide cracks and small dips without a full patch.

How we do it

• Clean: cracks are blown out and, where needed, routed to a uniform width
• Heat: sealant is melted in a heated kettle
• Apply: sealant is poured or wanded into the crack and leveled
• Finish: overbanding or squeegeeing as needed; traffic resumes once it cools

Timing

Spring is ideal: cracks are moderately open, and the work is done before monsoon season starts on June 15. Fall works too. In midsummer we work early in the day.

Before sealcoating

Sealcoat does not bridge cracks. We always seal cracks first, then apply sealcoat, so the surface is protected and watertight.

Why spring matters

Monsoon season officially starts June 15. Cracks sealed in March, April or May are closed when the first storms arrive. Cracks left open let storm water reach the base all summer, and by fall the damage shows as potholes and sunken spots.

HOA programs

For community streets, an annual or every-other-year crack sealing program is one of the cheapest ways to extend pavement life. We measure cracks by linear foot, price the work by street and schedule it around residents.

Crack sealing vs patching

Crack sealing works on separate, single cracks. When cracks join into a web, often called alligator cracking, the base underneath has failed and the area needs a saw-cut patch.

Equipment

Crack sealing uses a heated kettle to melt the sealant, an air lance to blow out cracks and, where needed, a router to cut cracks to a uniform width. The result is a clean, bonded seal.