Everyone hates potholes. They’re a potentially costly nuisance for motorists, a dangerous obstacle to cyclists and a maintenance headache for councils and highway agencies.
And whilst no one likes to see their most-travelled roads closed for roadworks, it’s great when we see action being taken to repair the roads we use every day.
But how are potholes actually repaired? There are a range of methods, each with its own upshots and downfalls.
Cold patching repairs
Small pothole on a busy road? That’s where patching comes in. Patching is great for quick repairs on rural or urban roads at any time of year, making it a popular method for councils when extensive roadworks are needed to be avoided.
However, cold patching tends to be a quick fix and the pothole its filled in will eventually return to its potted state.
Hot asphalt repair
Hot asphalt is a more intensive but longer-lasting solution that involves excavating around the pothole and the space that’s left filled in with a sealing hot asphalt. This method affords a more permanent fix and addresses the underlying issue as to why the pothole formed in the first place, reducing the risk of further damage to the surrounding road surface.
Hot repairs cost more upfront, but are more cost-effective in the long run.
Complete resurfacing
Sometimes a road is just too potted with potholes that it needs to be completely resurfaced. We’ve all likely come across roads that are so overfilled with temporarily repaired potholes that they’re starting to resemble an asphalt patchwork quilt. Well, when things get this bad, usually a completely new road surface is required.
The job’s not quite finished…
Pothole repaired? Great! But the job isn’t finished until the road is fully usable again, and that includes replacing any road markings!
Potholes can form anywhere on the road, and when the hole itself - or the remediation work to fix it - causes loss of line markings, those need to be repainted before the road is properly safe to open once more.
At Lineway, we stock some of the best line marketing paint available on the market today, including MMA cold plastic and solvent-based acrylics.
About to go and fix a pothole? Then check if you need line marking paint too.