Crack Sealing in Victorville, CA

Crack sealing closes the gaps that let water and sand into the base under your asphalt. Victorville's temperature swings are hard on pavement: soft at 100 degrees in the afternoon, stiff on one of the city's 79 freezing nights. Cracks open and close with every cycle. If they stay open, winter water gets in and freezes, and wind packs them with sand that keeps them from closing in the heat. Both make them wider every year.

Crack sealing vs. crack filling

For working cracks that open and close with temperature, a hot-applied rubberized sealant is used, often after routing the crack to make a clean reservoir. It stays flexible and moves with the pavement. For wide, non-moving cracks, a crack filler can be used. Hairline cracks are usually covered by sealcoating instead.

Which cracks to seal

• Single cracks across or along the pavement
• Cracks along joints, curbs and edges
• Cracks at the seam of old patches

Not good candidates: large areas of interconnected alligator cracking, which signal base failure and need patching.

When to do it

Fall is the best time, before the freezing nights arrive and while cracks are opened up by cooler temperatures. Any dry day works, though. We clean each crack with compressed air first; a crack full of sand will not hold sealant.

The payoff

Crack sealing is one of the least expensive things you can do for asphalt. HomeGuide lists crack filling at roughly $0.50 to $3 per linear foot, and Angi puts a typical driveway at $100 to $400. Compared with patching potholes later, or resurfacing, it is a small cost.

Pairing with sealcoating

We usually crack seal right before sealcoating so the seal coat goes on over a tight surface.

Cracks along concrete

Where asphalt meets a garage slab, curb or sidewalk, the two materials move differently, and a crack usually opens along the joint. Sealing that joint keeps water from running down between the slab and the asphalt into the base.

How much crack sealing does a lot need?

We estimate cracks by walking the lot and measuring the linear footage. A small residential driveway may have under 100 feet of cracks; a large commercial lot can have thousands. Pricing by the foot makes it easy to see what you are paying for, and to choose the worst areas first if the budget is limited.

Signs a crack needs attention

• It is wider than about a quarter inch
• Weeds or sand are growing or collecting in it
• The edges are starting to crumble
• Water stands in or beside it after rain

Cracks like these let water and sand into the base, and each winter makes them worse.