In general, you can expect new asphalt to take anywhere from 48-72 hours to dry completely. However, if the weather is particularly humid or cold, it may take up to a week for the asphalt to fully cure.
Asphalt takes six to twelve months to fully cure, and remains a little more susceptible to damage for that time. However, it takes 48 to 72 hours to "dry" enough for foot and vehicle traffic. This is for new asphalt. Resurfaced asphalt can be dry in as soon as a few hours.
➽ High-Powered Drying – Asphalt cold patch mix cures by having contact with air. You can speed up the drying process by using hair dryers or commercial paint dryers. If you are going to use a hair dryer, you will need to manually operate it in a steady, sweeping motion to ensure even curing.
Allow repaired area to cure for a minimum of 30 days (preferably 90 days or more) before applying driveway sealer. QUIKRETE® Asphalt Cold Patch can be driven over immediately. The more the product is driven over, the faster it will harden. QUIKRETE® Asphalt Cold Patch will continue to harden as it ages.
While crack filling may only last one or two seasons depending on the cracks activity, crack sealing can last up to 8 years or more and is considered a permanent treatment. Crack sealing is the only effective treatment for active cracks that contract and expand from season to season.
In general, you can expect new asphalt to take anywhere from 48-72 hours to dry completely. However, if the weather is particularly humid or cold, it may take up to a week for the asphalt to fully cure.
Let the Area Cure Properly
Now that the crack filler is in, let it cure for 24 to 48 hours before driving over it. If you have any potholes, now is the time to repair those, too. It's a lot easier to fill them now than it used to be.
The cold patch product is durable by itself and can guarantee long lasting results. To make it last longer, it is advised to apply seal coat once the patch has cured, which is around 24 to 48 hours after the patch has been applied.
Asphalt contains oil, so it works very well as a water repellent. When rain falls on hot asphalt, the asphalt tries to repel the water instead of focusing on curing. A passing shower is not likely to have much of an impact, but an extended or heavy downpour can leave the surface cratered or cracked.
Weather Impacts On Asphalt Drying Time –
Temperature: Temperature refers to both ambient and surface temperatures. “Ambient” refers to the temperature of the air, while “surface” is the temperature of the application surface itself. The higher the temperature, the faster the evaporation, and thus dry time.
While light rain typically has little to no impact on properly laid asphalt, heavy rains and puddling can cause serious problems. Without proper drainage, pools of standing water in your parking lot can infiltrate even tiny pavement cracks, eventually leading to larger fissures, potholes, and raveling.
Cold patching is ideal if you just want to get through a short time span, planning to implement a more permanent solution in the long run, but hot mix will see you through a much greater period of time, doing a more solid, long-lasting repair.
During initial application, the asphalt should still be at least 220 to 290-degrees Fahrenheit. If the asphalt dips below approximately 185-degrees Fahrenheit before compaction is complete, its consistency stiffens up too much to finish the job properly.
You can patch at anytime of the year, no matter how cold it is. Cures extremely solid within 3 to 4 hours. One 50lbs bag of Cold Asphalt Patch will allow you to patch 4 square feet of asphalt 1 inch thick.
If you've recently installed a new driveway, wait at least 90 days to a year to ensure the sealant doesn't damage the asphalt. Sealcoating a new driveway too early may trap oils within the asphalt, resulting in a driveway that is too soft or flexible.
When rain comes into contact with fresh asphalt, it causes the oil to rise to the surface, affecting the curing time and the finished product. If asphalt is paved while it's raining, it can reduce the overall quality of the asphalt. Rain also jeopardizes the stability of the subsoil.
While your driveway may be dry a day after paving, it still needs some time to cure. Typically, you want to keep the pavement dry for at least two days, minimally, so make sure that rain isn't going to be an issue before you start your driveway paving in this situation.
For example, in asphalt with 29.8% porosity it takes 1200 min to dry the first 15 mm and 4600 min to dry the next 15 mm. In addition, the recession rate of the evaporation front is smaller in test samples with higher porosity.
For summer application, with full sunlight exposure (that means no shaded areas and in the high heat of the day) you should be able to WALK on the asphalt within 2-4 hours. You can typically drive on sealed asphalt after 24 hours. However, we recommend giving it 48 hours, if possible, to be sure.
How many coats of sealer should be applied? Low Traffic such as a typical home driveway, 1 coat is sufficient. Moderate Traffic on a parking lot, 2 coats with a third coat on the entrance and exits. Heavy Traffic 2 coats with a third coat on all travel lanes and roadways.
1. APPLYING TOO MUCH SEALER OR THE WRONG KIND OF SEALER. While slathering seal coat over asphalt in a thick layer can be tempting, a “more is better” approach is detrimental to the pavement beneath. Too much sealer can lead to premature cracking, which will shorten the lifespan of your driveway.
Your filler should be touch dry in approximately one hour, though drying times can vary by product so be sure to check the label. You can then apply a second layer if required, or leave to dry completely for 24 hours before sanding down and applying other finishes as needed.
Seal and Repair Right Away
Seal your asphalt and always make sure you repair any cracks and chips in the asphalt as soon as possible, to prevent them from getting any worse over time and use. Getting your asphalt seal coated every year or so will also make sure your pavement is safe from weather, sunlight, and more.