Cracks are the earliest warning sign and they are worth acting on right away. Repairing as soon as cracks appear keeps water out of the base, which is what turns a small fix into a full resurfacing job. Other signs to watch for are potholes, soft or sunken spots, crumbling edges, and water pooling after rain.

We repair cracks, potholes, broken and crumbling edges, sunken or settled areas, and sections that have failed right down to the base. We work on driveways, acreages, parking lots, and roadways for both commercial and residential properties. With over 50 years in Calgary and Southern Alberta, we have seen every kind of asphalt failure our climate produces.

Water and our freeze-thaw cycles do most of the damage. Water seeps into small cracks, freezes, expands, and forces those cracks wider, and once it reaches the base the surface loses its support and breaks apart. Add seasonal extremes and normal wear and tear, and a small flaw becomes a pothole quickly if it is left alone.

A lasting patch means removing the problem, not covering it. We cut out the failed asphalt back to solid material, clear out the loose debris, prepare and compact the base underneath, then fill with hot mix asphalt and compact it level with the surrounding surface. Skipping the base work is exactly why throw-and-go patches fail within a season.

It depends on the crack. Narrow, isolated cracks can be cleaned and filled, which is quick, inexpensive, and very effective at keeping water out. Wide cracks, crumbling edges, and alligator cracking usually mean the base underneath is failing, and those areas need to be cut out and patched properly instead.

New asphalt goes down noticeably darker than the surface around it and lightens as it cures over the following months. Patch seams stay visible up close, which is normal for any repair on an older surface. If a completely uniform look matters to you, resurfacing the area is the option that delivers it.

Most repairs are completed in a single visit, and larger commercial jobs are scheduled around your operations. You can usually drive on a fresh patch within a few hours once it has cooled and been compacted, and we will confirm the timing on site. For the first while, avoid parking heavy loads on a new patch or turning your wheels while stopped on it.

Hot mix asphalt needs warm, dry conditions to compact and bond properly, so permanent repairs are done during paving season, roughly spring through fall. If damage becomes a safety or liability concern over winter, temporary measures can hold things together until a proper repair is possible. Call us and we will tell you honestly what is worth doing now and what should wait for spring.

Repairs are priced by the job. Cost comes down to how many areas need work, their size and depth, whether the base underneath has failed, and access to the site. In almost every case, repairing early costs far less than letting the damage spread into a full resurfacing. Call 403.263.2411 or email quotes@calgarypaving.com for a free, no-obligation estimate.