Asphalt Patching & Pothole Repair in Oshkosh, WI

Asphalt patching and pothole repair deals with the damage that appears each spring on driveways, private roads and lots around Lake Winnebago. A pothole is usually the last step of a longer story: water got under the pavement through a crack, froze and lifted it, then thawed and left the clay below soft and the asphalt unsupported. Traffic did the rest. A cold-patch fill hides the hole for a while, but unless the soft base is replaced the hole comes back.

Repair options

• Full-depth saw-cut patch. The failed area is cut square, removed down through the base, soft clay is replaced with stone and compacted, and new hot mix is placed and rolled. This is the lasting fix for potholes and heaves.
• Infrared repair. Heat softens the existing asphalt so it can be reworked with fresh material without a cold joint. Good for surface damage over a firm base.
• Cold patch. A temporary fill for winter, until a permanent repair is possible.
• Edge repair. Broken edges cut back, base extended and asphalt replaced with a supported taper.

Trench settlement

Utility trenches for water, sewer, gas and fiber often settle years after they were backfilled, leaving a long sunken line across a driveway or lot. We cut out the settled strip, recompact or replace the fill and repave it level.

Patch or start over?

Patching makes sense when failures are scattered. When a large share of the surface is breaking up, or new failures appear every spring, the base under the whole area is giving out, and an overlay or replacement is a better value. We give you both prices when the choice is close.

Commercial and multi-unit lots

Apartment complexes, churches and businesses can have repairs done in sections so parking stays available. Patching is often followed by crack filling, sealcoating and restriping so the lot is finished in one season.

Fixing the cause

At the site visit we look for why each area failed: a downspout dumping onto the pavement, a low spot that holds water, a buried stump or a trench. Where the cause can be fixed, that fix is part of the quote.

Liability on business lots

Potholes and heaved patches on a commercial lot are trip and damage hazards. Prompt repair protects customers and tenants.

Timing

Permanent hot-mix patching needs thawed, dry ground and hot-mix plants that are open, usually from late spring into late fall. In winter, a cold patch can fill a dangerous hole temporarily until we can make a proper repair. Spring is when most damage appears, so booking early helps.

After the patch

Patched areas are darker than the surrounding asphalt at first. Once patches have cured, sealcoating the whole surface evens out the color and protects old and new asphalt together.