If you manage a commercial property in Charleston, your asphalt surfaces are constantly under pressure—from traffic, heat, storms, and time. Without regular maintenance, what starts as a small crack can quickly turn into a costly liability.
Most blacktops are designed to be durable, resistant to the elements, and able to withstand daily traffic from pedestrians, bikes, cars, and trucks. Depending on their intended use and traffic density, good-quality pavement typically lasts between 10 and 30 years.
However, they can only reach that lifespan with proper maintenance from an experienced commercial asphalt paving company, like Howell & Simmons Construction & Paving, Inc.
Whether your paving project uses high-durability hot mix asphalt (HMA) or green infrastructure-compliant porous asphalt, our asphalt paving contractors can help you maintain safe, long-lasting surfaces.
Why Regular Asphalt Surface Inspections Matter
An experienced construction company should offer inspections of your current paving solution as part of its asphalt paving services. They will identify early signs of wear and tear, check for compliance with local ordinances, and determine if your property needs asphalt repairs.
Here’s what you can expect from a complete inspection:
- Surface evaluations. Your asphalt construction partner will check for cracks, potholes, rutting and raveling signs, and other wear and tear.
- Drainage evaluations. If water pools frequently appear on your lot or roadway, or if you have other drainage issues, an inspection can reveal the causes.
- Structural integrity checks. Commercial paving inspections should check for signs of subgrade movement, fatigue cracking, or asphalt sinking, which can indicate issues with the subgrade or the base layers.
- Safety inspections. Thorough inspections should also check for potential safety issues, such as trip hazards or uneven transitions that could be dangerous for vehicles to drive over.
An experienced paving team in Charleston can evaluate the damage and recommend targeted fixes. Taking care of small issues early helps you avoid costly repairs or a complete resurfacing down the line
For the best results, consider scheduling inspections at least once a year and after a severe weather event, such as tropical storms and hurricanes in South Carolina.
Common Asphalt Repair Services
After an inspection, your commercial asphalt paving contractor may determine that your surfaces need repairs.
Some of the most common repair services include:
Crack Sealing and Filling Services
Over time, blacktops like roads and parking lots can develop cracks from repeated exposure to rain, UV rays, traffic, and changing temperatures throughout the year. While cracks can take many shapes—alligator, transverse, and longitudinal—contractors categorize them by whether they are non-working or working:
- Non-working cracks. These cracks don’t expand or contract at different temperatures. Non-working cracks are relatively benign and easy to repair.
- Working cracks. These cracks move, expand, or contract along with temperature changes. A working crack is usually evidence of more severe wear and tear.
Experienced asphalt contractors typically address cracks with one of two techniques: sealing or filling.
The type used depends on the type of crack:
- Crack filling. A temporary fix involving the pouring of liquid asphalt into non-working cracks. It is an inexpensive repair solution mainly used to prevent water from seeping under the surface.
- Crack sealing. Rubberized asphalt sealant is a more permanent repair method. Although more expensive and time-consuming than crack filling, it is more suitable for addressing working cracks. When applied, the sealant bonds to the sides, expanding and contracting when the temperature changes, so the crack remains sealed.
Surface Patching and Pothole Repairs
If cracks aren’t addressed on time or water seeps in through surface cracks quickly enough, they can deteriorate your surface, creating depressions, dips, and raveling.
A skilled commercial construction company in Charleston, SC, can assess the nature of your surface’s damage and use the correct repair services to address it, including:
- Surface patching. Minor raveling or surface cracking can occur when the aggregates on the surface become loose from age, traffic, and oxidation. These can be repaired with patching, where a fresh layer of cold mix asphalt (CMA) is applied over the affected area.
- Pothole repairs. Potholes are a deeper issue; they occur when water reaches the base layer from a surface crack, deteriorating or washing it away, and leaving a gap under the asphalt. Over time, when traffic drives over the affected area, the asphalt can collapse into that gap, creating a pothole. These are typically repaired by filling the hole with hot mix asphalt (HMA).
Potholes and surface damage should be addressed as soon as they’re found in a routine inspection.
Sealcoating Services
Sealcoating is an essential part of any asphalt maintenance program. It applies a protective barrier to your lot or driveway, shielding it from damage. When correctly applied, sealcoating can last up to 2 to 4 years and extend your surface’s lifespan. The highest-quality products can last up to 5 years or more.
Sealcoating helps protect your asphalt from the following:
- Oxidation from exposure to the sun
- Water infiltration
- Vehicle fluids, such as oil and gas
- Traffic wear and tear
- Fading and discoloration, helping preserve an asphalt’s fresh blacktop look
Sealcoating services typically include fresh line striping, helping keep your road markings clean and easy to read.
Reach Out to an Asphalt Maintenance Specialist in Charleston, SC
Howell & Simmons Construction & Paving, Inc. is one of the most trusted asphalt and concrete service providers in the Charleston area. We specialize in commercial asphalt paving in Charleston, SC, and have almost four decades of experience overseeing projects throughout the Lowcountry.
Whether your property needs routine maintenance or a complete reassessment, our contractors are ready to keep it in top condition.
Contact us today for a free estimate or to discuss your project.