How To Repair Potholes And Damaged Asphalt Pavement

BackYard Basics by TechniSoil with host Terry Jensen. Here’s a problem we all deal with nearly every day, potholes and uneven blacktop. In this episode I’ll show you a fast, easy way to repair any asphalt surface including driveways, parking lots, aprons, and sport courts. Introducing TrowelPave from TechniSoil, an eco-friendly leveling compound that does not require any mechanical compaction. All you need is a standard trowel to install.

I’ll be working on a badly damaged and uneven asphalt shop encroachment. There was a jagged, crumbling 2” - 3” gap from the concrete shop floor down to the pavement. Small boards and stakes were being used to fill the space so wheeled appliances could be rolled in and out. Needless to say, it was a nuisance and tripping hazard not to mention it looked horrible.

TrowelPave doesn’t require any specialty tools or heavy equipment, and the repair will actually be stronger than the existing asphalt itself! The proprietary blend of aggregates and liquid binder is easy to mix using a wheelbarrow and shovel or garden hoe. The blended mix allows for 20 - 30 minutes of workability to shape and compact using a concrete trowel.

First I cleaned the area of debris by removing any broken concrete and asphalt with my shovel and then brooming any remaining material out. A handheld or backpack blower would also work well. If you need to use water or high pressure spray to clean, it’s important the project is completely dry before installing TrowelPave.

A TrowelPave kit comes in a bucket with a balanced amount of specialty aggregates and liquid binding agent. In this video, we used the DIY kit which comes with approximately 20 pounds of aggregate and 16 ounces of binder. There will also be a contractor kit available that features 40 pounds of aggregate and 32 ounces of binder.

It is recommended to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) at any time once the liquid binding agent is in use. This would include work pants, shoes, and shirt (preferably long sleeve), gloves, and safety glasses. The liquid binder is non-hazardous, VOC-free, and environmentally safe. On rare occasion, it can cause irritation after direct contact to the skin of people with certain allergic reactions. Avoid contact with your skin or clothes if possible.

Next I began the mixing process by pouring the aggregates into my wheelbarrow and then emptied the contents of the liquid binder evenly over the top. I used a shovel to thoroughly mix the two components. The mix starts out clumpy, but quickly blends together into an oatmeal consistency. The asphalt version of TrowelPave features a tinted binder that becomes more consistent while mixing.

And finally, I poured the blended material into place and began to trowel. If you have ever finished concrete or mortar with a trowel, the process is similar. I was able to build a ramp from the asphalt up to the jagged concrete shop floor. I troweled the material in about a ¼” higher than finish grade and then evenly tamped it down by hand using my trowel until it was flush. In areas where the grade was low, I sprinkled more blended material over the top and continued troweling and tamping.

On this repair area, I used 4 of the DIY bucket kits and the project was complete in less than 30 minutes. Within days, the owner had used the new ramp into the shop to drive heavy equipment on without so much as even a scratch.

If you watch to the end, there’s a bonus sneak peek of another new product coming soon from TechniSoil called Color Refresh. You can recolor old, faded asphalt with a handheld pump sprayer. Stay tuned for this and more great products coming soon!