Crack Sealing in Kansas City, MO

Crack sealing fills the cracks in a driveway or parking lot with a flexible sealant so water cannot run through the surface into the base. It is one of the least expensive things you can do for pavement, and in a freeze-thaw climate like Kansas City's it does a lot of work: water that gets under asphalt and freezes is what turns ordinary cracks into potholes.

What causes the cracks

SealMaster, a pavement maintenance manufacturer, lists base failure, moisture intrusion, freeze-thaw, heavy traffic and other environmental factors as typical causes. Long straight cracks often come from the pavement shrinking in the cold or from joints between paving passes. Cracks along the edges point to weak support at the side. A web of interconnected cracks, often called alligator cracking, usually means the base underneath has failed, and that needs patching rather than sealing.

Sealing versus filling

The terms get used loosely. In the trade, filling generally refers to wide cracks that barely move, while sealing refers to cracks that open and close with the seasons, which get a thorough cleaning and a hot rubberized product that stretches with them. For most driveways and lots here, we clean cracks with air or a wire brush, rout them where needed to create a clean channel, and apply hot-pour sealant, then finish it flush or with a slight band over the crack.

Timing in Kansas City

Kansas City averages freezing weather from late October to early April. Sealing in late summer or fall closes cracks before that season starts. Spring is the second-best time, once the surface is dry, to stop damage from the winter just past. Cracks are slightly wider in cool weather, which helps the sealant get deep into them.

Why it pays

SealMaster estimates crack sealing at roughly 35 cents to a dollar per foot of crack, and says each dollar put into it avoids about $6 in later costs. Even if the exact number varies, the logic holds: sealing a few hundred feet of cracks is cheap compared with rebuilding the base under a failed section.

Driveways versus lots

On a home driveway the job is often a few hours: a few long cracks, the line along the garage floor, and where the asphalt butts against the concrete approach. On a parking lot, crack sealing is usually one step in a maintenance plan, done before sealcoating and striping so the coat goes over closed cracks. Either way, the quote lists the approximate footage so you can see what you are paying for.