As a professional sealcoater...I approve this message!!! Helpful tip...when those cracks open back up (they always do, within a year or two)...you can run that torch back over the rubber to re-melt it, right in place.
Hi! Thanks for watching! That's a great tip, and one we found out the next year when some of the wider cracks did have their asphalt shrink a little. Thanks for the great comment - and the approval! :)
This is the best way to fix you our own cracks as a home owner on the cheap. Results almost as good as the pros. Don’t buy crap like the crack sticks or cold pour. Do it this way or hire a pro. Only suggestion for the home owner is maybe invest in a rubber v or u shape squeegee to get a neater band, and no the rubber won’t melt I’ve done this for years
Do you need to add aggregate for wider and deeper cracks please, if so, what type? Is it really much better than cold pour, I have a long driveway in need of some TLC and don’t want to do the job twice.
@@yp77738yp77739 hot pour is good up to 1 inch in width. If your crack is wider you will need to fill with something else. Get asphalt cold patch to fill instead of aggregate, it’ll last longer. It sells in 50 lbs bags for pretty cheap. Step 1: clean out the crack as best you can, if you use a pressure washer for cleaning you will need to let dry before proceeding to next steps. You can use a screw driver to loosen material in crack, leaf blow out and torch any remaining vegetation if you do not want to pressure wash out. Step 2. Fill crack with cold patch and try and compact as best you can into the crack, you may need to compact using stuff like a shovel handle or other small things like a screw driver handle that you can fit into crack to compact the patching material. Leave ~0.5’’-1’’ of the crack unfilled. Step 3 fill rest of crack with hot pour crack sealant and leave at least a 3’’ over band on surface. This is the best thing you can do to repair your larger sized crack on the cheap, there is no guarantee that it’ll be permanent, you may need to touch up ever 2-3 years with more hot pour as asphalt is always expanding and contracting and the material will likely reopen up eventually because of this movement. Only fix that is permanent for larger cracks is using “mastic” which is a special crack filler that only pros have access to or cut out around crack and do an full depth asphalt patch which any paving company can do for you, but they will cost you an arm and a leg as they have min charges for small jobs
@@redditor7548 Thank you for the advice. Yes, when 99.9% of the surface is good, I can’t bring myself to fully resurface, it has lasted 23 years so far. I’ve seen those pli stixs, which look easy to use but we have a large temperature variation and I figured they would probably crack again quickly.
@@yp77738yp77739 wouldn’t need to get entire surface resurfaced just where the large crack is patched out. They’d probably cut a 2.5-3.0’ foot section in width and run the entire length of crack. Would still cost a lot.
Thank You so much man. Excellent information. Thank you for taking the time to share this. I'm starting to collect/fab my small tools tomorrow. I have a burner and pot from a turkey deep fryer that I've never used. I just found a use for it.
Hi! Thanks for watching. The driveway repair guy told me they charge $1.00/foot for cracks. I should go into business! Good luck to your husband and the crack repair!
@@fixitwithcronk1074 it is indeed $1/ft and a very profitable business, but the professional equipment is also very expensive to purchase. We typically get 200 feet of coverage with one 30 pound block @ $33 per block. If you’re self employed those are pretty good margins, even for a big company
Great video. Ive seen these blocks in the stores. Ill bet a person could use a old hot oil turkey cooker too. Pot and all. Also for pot holes wonder if could add pea gravel and fill. As long as good base under. Great video and ideas.
Hi, thanks for watching! You could probably use an old hot oil turkey cooker, for sure. Just realize that the tar will get on it and it might not be suitable for cooking turkey afterwards! The pea gravel idea for larger holes sounds practical as well. Good luck with your DIY repairs!
Been using coal tar sealer along with alastomeric crack filler from our local seal coat supplier. We get about 3 to 5 years out of an application asphalt was originally installed 37 years ago.
Great video, thank you. Just had a company fill in my cracks, but they didn’t smooth them out. Is there a reason some companies don’t smooth the cracks? I like your idea of heating them up, and smoothing them out with blow torch.
Thanks for watching! I think they might just be in a rush to get done, but smoothing them into the cracks makes the repair neater and fills in any gaps that might happen. You can go back afterwards with the torch and then smooth them later if you want. Good luck!
That’s a lot of work. Buy a hot tar machine. Heats up faster and you won’t need anything else to help you spread it. I do commercial work. Clark’s gas stations to be exact and that’s what I use. You make it work with what you got and that’s awesome! You should still buy a hot tar machine and you’d be good at using it. After you tar the cracks throw play sand on the crack and it will make it smooth and look way better when it drys and if someone wants to drive on it they could immediately
Thanks for watching. Good tips! I was trying to do it "on the cheap" with tools and equipment I had already. I like the idea of the play sand though; as I do this at least once a year, it's a good tip. Good luck with your DIY repairs!
Hi, thanks for watching! No, actually, the driveway was put in over 20 years ago. We've tried to maintain the surface by keeping the cracks filled and developed this process which works for this DIYer. We did have it sprayed with hot asphalt to seal it after the cracks were filled. The contractor who did that recommended that application every three years, but commended us on our ingenuity in keeping the cracks filled the way we do!
Thanks for the comment! Sometimes the plastic melts, sometimes not. I think it's just because of the way I heat it over an old gas grill side burner. It works, though! Thanks for watching!
Thanks for watching. I've used those too, and they work pretty well. This is a long driveway and unfortunately has a lot of cracks, so this is what I came up with. Happy DIY-ing!
Hi! Thanks for watching. It's an old canning kettle. I would not recommend a galvanized steel bucket because zinc fumes can come off and are toxic! If you can get a big old cook pot you don't mind using just for tar (such as at a yard sale or thrift store), that is probably best. Good luck, and happy sealing!
@@fixitwithcronk1074 do you happen to know how large this cook pot is that you used (how many quarts)? Great idea and great video! Thanks for sharing the tips.
Hi thanks for viewing! Interesting thing about asphalt is that it's soft in that it can be liquefied to pour into the crack, but it does "harden" - a bit. In hot weather (like we have in Southeast Pennsylvania), it can soften a bit and if a vehicle parks on it, it can leave a tire mark. Once a year, we go over the cracks again with a torch to re-liquefy and melt the asphalt back into the crack. So to answer your question, it doesn't really get hard as though you melted plastic into it.
Thanks for watching! It's kind of cathartic to do this, knowing that my efforts are saving me a TON of money and extending the lifespan of my driveway, too!
Not being a karen, but im certa ( propane) certified for 31 years, and if you get a leak in that propane tank fitting you gonna burn down the whole thing, tractor included. Always have a fire extinguisher handy, within 50 ft and keep your tank 20 ft from your fire!! Never wear cuffed gloves, get the ones that wrap tightly around your wrist.Ive seen what asphalt burns do to a man, and it dies not stop until it hits bone. Id hate to see someone else get burned badly. Just looking at the saftey side.. great idea though. I use a waterproofing kettle, and rubberized asphalt on about 10 thousand square ft of a commercial roofing yard to maintenance the driving surface. I have to rebuild tar kettle pumps and they are dissasembled hot , around 475°f . HOT Asphalt is no toy... Great diy methid , just tank is way to close in that walled trailer , mount it on the outside away from the flame, please..
Thanks for watching! I agree - if they're really deep, you might want to use sand first then the asphalt. It doesn't truly harden and will remain flexible, but it does shrink and the cracks can reappear, so from time to time you have to go over them with a torch. Good luck!
Great! They dont smooth it out. I may try this. I want too. 3500.00 for our parking lot. They never fill the cracks. Just wave by. I thought this was possible. A can ??? Wow!
Thanks for watching! You don't really have to smooth it out. Sometimes, I just go over it with a torch and melt it into the crack, which flows better and leaves a smooth finish. It's up to you; try some different ways and see what works for you. Good luck in all your DIY endeavors!
Take this from a guy who just splashed hot tar on his hand from doing this, leave it to the professionals. The pain from a hot tar burn is excruciating, and the healing process is long and just as painful.
Ouch! We have always worn leather gloves when doing this, and so far have managed to avoid burns - although the gloves aren't good for much else afterward! I hope your burn heals quickly! Thanks for watching!
I understand this is an old comment. I don’t think we should take your Advice maybe look at it as what not to do. The professionals were not born professional, They learned just like well, hopefully you did. Hot Hot Hot. Do not apply To yourself be careful.
Very nice and effective! The Home Depot stuff looks good but does not last! You have duplicated what the commercial vendors do. And the commercial grade contractors do cost!
you do not have to remove the plastic really u can just melt it in does not harm the final product you can remove it if you like but if it gets too hot and you grab it you will burn the shit of out your hand when it sticks to it. i do like your homemade setup goes to show that you do not need to spend a fortune on a crack machine
Hi thanks for watching! Yes, sometimes I've just left the plastic in there, but it usually doesn't melt quite like the asphalt. You'd need a tool to lift it out of there; you certainly wouldn't want to grab it with even a gloved hand! Yes, the homemade setup works well and definitely much more cost effective. Thanks for the comment!
Hi, thanks for watching. After a year, some of the crack sealer has shrunk a little - especially on the wider cracks - but a quick heat-up with the torch flows it right back again. Definitely much better than the cold-fill coal tar stuff we used to use!
Yes, the driveway is over 600 feet long and I don't have the means to seal the entire surface with hot asphalt spray and he did. He said sealing the cracks myself saved me a TON of money though! Thanks for watching!
Thanks for watching! Hmm.... I didn't show that, and since it's done every three years, I'll probably want to do that the next time! Good luck in all your DIY endeavors!
Hi thanks for viewing! A turkey fryer is essentially what I did here, but be careful! No matter how cautious you are, SOME melted asphalt will get on it and it's tough to clean up. So that's why I used a salvaged side-burner from a discarded gas grill, specifically adapted for ONLY this purpose. Good luck!
It IS messy, for sure. Be sure to wear old clothes and shoes you don't mind getting tar on, and heavy leather gloves and tools that you don't mind sacrificing. Thanks for watching!
As a professional sealcoater...I approve this message!!!
Helpful tip...when those cracks open back up (they always do, within a year or two)...you can run that torch back over the rubber to re-melt it, right in place.
Hi! Thanks for watching! That's a great tip, and one we found out the next year when some of the wider cracks did have their asphalt shrink a little. Thanks for the great comment - and the approval! :)
You have a video of the finished product? After he sealcoated it?
I was gonna pay 1300 for a crack machine but this is superb 👌
This is the best way to fix you our own cracks as a home owner on the cheap. Results almost as good as the pros. Don’t buy crap like the crack sticks or cold pour. Do it this way or hire a pro. Only suggestion for the home owner is maybe invest in a rubber v or u shape squeegee to get a neater band, and no the rubber won’t melt I’ve done this for years
Great feedback! Thanks for the tip!
Do you need to add aggregate for wider and deeper cracks please, if so, what type?
Is it really much better than cold pour, I have a long driveway in need of some TLC and don’t want to do the job twice.
@@yp77738yp77739 hot pour is good up to 1 inch in width. If your crack is wider you will need to fill with something else. Get asphalt cold patch to fill instead of aggregate, it’ll last longer. It sells in 50 lbs bags for pretty cheap.
Step 1: clean out the crack as best you can, if you use a pressure washer for cleaning you will need to let dry before proceeding to next steps. You can use a screw driver to loosen material in crack, leaf blow out and torch any remaining vegetation if you do not want to pressure wash out.
Step 2. Fill crack with cold patch and try and compact as best you can into the crack, you may need to compact using stuff like a shovel handle or other small things like a screw driver handle that you can fit into crack to compact the patching material. Leave ~0.5’’-1’’ of the crack unfilled.
Step 3 fill rest of crack with hot pour crack sealant and leave at least a 3’’ over band on surface.
This is the best thing you can do to repair your larger sized crack on the cheap, there is no guarantee that it’ll be permanent, you may need to touch up ever 2-3 years with more hot pour as asphalt is always expanding and contracting and the material will likely reopen up eventually because of this movement. Only fix that is permanent for larger cracks is using “mastic” which is a special crack filler that only pros have access to or cut out around crack and do an full depth asphalt patch which any paving company can do for you, but they will cost you an arm and a leg as they have min charges for small jobs
@@redditor7548 Thank you for the advice. Yes, when 99.9% of the surface is good, I can’t bring myself to fully resurface, it has lasted 23 years so far.
I’ve seen those pli stixs, which look easy to use but we have a large temperature variation and I figured they would probably crack again quickly.
@@yp77738yp77739 wouldn’t need to get entire surface resurfaced just where the large crack is patched out. They’d probably cut a 2.5-3.0’ foot section in width and run the entire length of crack. Would still cost a lot.
Thank You so much man. Excellent information. Thank you for taking the time to share this. I'm starting to collect/fab my small tools tomorrow. I have a burner and pot from a turkey deep fryer that I've never used. I just found a use for it.
Hey thanks for watching! Please be safe around that hot asphalt - it's pretty uncomfortable if it lands on you! Good luck in your DIY endeavors!
This is awesome. Thanks for posting this! Will save me thousands of $$.
Thanks for watching! Be safe and good luck with your DIY repairs!
Best video on this topic. Great job. Thanks!
Thanks for watching! Thanks for the kudos. Be safe in your DIY Projects!
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS VIDEO, HUSBAND IS GOING TO WATCH THIS VIDEO AND FOLLOW YOUR STEPS
Hi! Thanks for watching. The driveway repair guy told me they charge $1.00/foot for cracks. I should go into business! Good luck to your husband and the crack repair!
@@fixitwithcronk1074 it is indeed $1/ft and a very profitable business, but the professional equipment is also very expensive to purchase. We typically get 200 feet of coverage with one 30 pound block @ $33 per block. If you’re self employed those are pretty good margins, even for a big company
Great video. Ive seen these blocks in the stores. Ill bet a person could use a old hot oil turkey cooker too. Pot and all. Also for pot holes wonder if could add pea gravel and fill. As long as good base under. Great video and ideas.
Hi, thanks for watching! You could probably use an old hot oil turkey cooker, for sure. Just realize that the tar will get on it and it might not be suitable for cooking turkey afterwards! The pea gravel idea for larger holes sounds practical as well. Good luck with your DIY repairs!
Excellent 👍
Awesome job on describing how to do this greatly appreciated 👍
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
If my university professors were as clear and concise as this I probably wouldn't have needed notes or the need to cheat on exams!😄
Thanks for watching! I'm also a university statistics & math professor, so I completely understand! Good luck with your DIY projects!
Cheat Sheets are nice.
We had some tiny ones!
Looks much cleaner smoothed out. 👍
It does! Thanks for watching!
Good information. Thanks
Thanks for watching! Good luck with your DIY repairs!
Been using coal tar sealer along with alastomeric crack filler from our local seal coat supplier. We get about 3 to 5 years out of an application asphalt was originally installed 37 years ago.
Great comment! Thanks for watching!
Very good vedio . i will try your suggestions , Thank you.
Thanks for watching! Good luck!
Great video, thank you. Just had a company fill in my cracks, but they didn’t smooth them out. Is there a reason some companies don’t smooth the cracks? I like your idea of heating them up, and smoothing them out with blow torch.
Thanks for watching! I think they might just be in a rush to get done, but smoothing them into the cracks makes the repair neater and fills in any gaps that might happen. You can go back afterwards with the torch and then smooth them later if you want. Good luck!
That’s a lot of work. Buy a hot tar machine. Heats up faster and you won’t need anything else to help you spread it. I do commercial work. Clark’s gas stations to be exact and that’s what I use. You make it work with what you got and that’s awesome! You should still buy a hot tar machine and you’d be good at using it. After you tar the cracks throw play sand on the crack and it will make it smooth and look way better when it drys and if someone wants to drive on it they could immediately
Thanks for watching. Good tips! I was trying to do it "on the cheap" with tools and equipment I had already. I like the idea of the play sand though; as I do this at least once a year, it's a good tip. Good luck with your DIY repairs!
That looks like a newer drive ? #2 did you have like a driveway resurface ?
Hi, thanks for watching! No, actually, the driveway was put in over 20 years ago. We've tried to maintain the surface by keeping the cracks filled and developed this process which works for this DIYer. We did have it sprayed with hot asphalt to seal it after the cracks were filled. The contractor who did that recommended that application every three years, but commended us on our ingenuity in keeping the cracks filled the way we do!
good job!
Thanks! Thanks for watching!
Brilliant!
Thanks for watching!
I seal highways for towns with a tar kettle tow behind , we throw plastic and all into the kettle , it’s actually meant to melt with the tar ..
Thanks for the comment! Sometimes the plastic melts, sometimes not. I think it's just because of the way I heat it over an old gas grill side burner. It works, though! Thanks for watching!
Great video. .. helpful
Thanks for watching! Glad it was helpful!
I do this with the Pli Stick product. Probably more expensive per foot than the blocks but I don't have a lot of cracks.
Thanks for watching. I've used those too, and they work pretty well. This is a long driveway and unfortunately has a lot of cracks, so this is what I came up with. Happy DIY-ing!
Where did you get the bucket to heat the block in? Do you think that I could use a 5 gallon steel bucket?
Hi! Thanks for watching. It's an old canning kettle. I would not recommend a galvanized steel bucket because zinc fumes can come off and are toxic! If you can get a big old cook pot you don't mind using just for tar (such as at a yard sale or thrift store), that is probably best. Good luck, and happy sealing!
@@fixitwithcronk1074 do you happen to know how large this cook pot is that you used (how many quarts)? Great idea and great video! Thanks for sharing the tips.
Thanks for posting this video. Wow what a great idea! Looking into doing this for my driveway. question? did it dry up hard?
Hi thanks for viewing! Interesting thing about asphalt is that it's soft in that it can be liquefied to pour into the crack, but it does "harden" - a bit. In hot weather (like we have in Southeast Pennsylvania), it can soften a bit and if a vehicle parks on it, it can leave a tire mark. Once a year, we go over the cracks again with a torch to re-liquefy and melt the asphalt back into the crack. So to answer your question, it doesn't really get hard as though you melted plastic into it.
I think the hot and cold Sealers end up the same consistency. If you use the cold crack seal properly it will work fine.
Good job
Thanks for watching! It's kind of cathartic to do this, knowing that my efforts are saving me a TON of money and extending the lifespan of my driveway, too!
Not being a karen, but im certa ( propane) certified for 31 years, and if you get a leak in that propane tank fitting you gonna burn down the whole thing, tractor included. Always have a fire extinguisher handy, within 50 ft and keep your tank 20 ft from your fire!! Never wear cuffed gloves, get the ones that wrap tightly around your wrist.Ive seen what asphalt burns do to a man, and it dies not stop until it hits bone.
Id hate to see someone else get burned badly. Just looking at the saftey side.. great idea though. I use a waterproofing kettle, and rubberized asphalt on about 10 thousand square ft of a commercial roofing yard to maintenance the driving surface.
I have to rebuild tar kettle pumps and they are dissasembled hot , around 475°f . HOT
Asphalt is no toy...
Great diy methid , just tank is way to close in that walled trailer , mount it on the outside away from the flame, please..
Thanks for watching! Good safety tip - Thank you! Good luck with your DIY projects!
How fast does it harden up? I have deep cracks in my driveway and it needs to seep down.
I am told that if you have large or deep cracks to fill them with sand. Same thing is done sealing cement driveway expansion joints.
Thanks for watching! I agree - if they're really deep, you might want to use sand first then the asphalt. It doesn't truly harden and will remain flexible, but it does shrink and the cracks can reappear, so from time to time you have to go over them with a torch. Good luck!
Great!
They dont smooth it out.
I may try this.
I want too.
3500.00 for our parking lot.
They never fill the cracks.
Just wave by.
I thought this was possible.
A can ??? Wow!
Thanks for watching! You don't really have to smooth it out. Sometimes, I just go over it with a torch and melt it into the crack, which flows better and leaves a smooth finish. It's up to you; try some different ways and see what works for you. Good luck in all your DIY endeavors!
Brilliant👍
Thanks for watching!
Take this from a guy who just splashed hot tar on his hand from doing this, leave it to the professionals. The pain from a hot tar burn is excruciating, and the healing process is long and just as painful.
Ouch! We have always worn leather gloves when doing this, and so far have managed to avoid burns - although the gloves aren't good for much else afterward! I hope your burn heals quickly! Thanks for watching!
I understand this is an old comment. I don’t think we should take your Advice maybe look at it as what not to do. The professionals were not born professional, They learned just like well, hopefully you did. Hot Hot Hot. Do not apply To yourself be careful.
Nice. 😎
Thanks for watching! I hope your driveway repairs go smoothly!
Very nice and effective! The Home Depot stuff looks good but does not last! You have duplicated what the commercial vendors do. And the commercial grade contractors do cost!
Great comment, and Thanks for watching!
you do not have to remove the plastic really u can just melt it in does not harm the final product you can remove it if you like but if it gets too hot and you grab it you will burn the shit of out your hand when it sticks to it. i do like your homemade setup goes to show that you do not need to spend a fortune on a crack machine
Hi thanks for watching! Yes, sometimes I've just left the plastic in there, but it usually doesn't melt quite like the asphalt. You'd need a tool to lift it out of there; you certainly wouldn't want to grab it with even a gloved hand! Yes, the homemade setup works well and definitely much more cost effective. Thanks for the comment!
How does it looks after 1 year???
Hi, thanks for watching. After a year, some of the crack sealer has shrunk a little - especially on the wider cracks - but a quick heat-up with the torch flows it right back again. Definitely much better than the cold-fill coal tar stuff we used to use!
cool dude
Thanks for watching! (Actually, it's a pretty "hot" job.... :D ) Cheers!
Smart
Now I regret tossing that old home depot grill that rotted out on the bottom...
Side burner was fine
Thanks for watching! Usually you can find 'em along the side of the road when someone scraps their old one. A few bolts removed and you're good to go!
You did all that and paid a guy to sealcoat the driveway afterwards? Im confused!
Yes, the driveway is over 600 feet long and I don't have the means to seal the entire surface with hot asphalt spray and he did. He said sealing the cracks myself saved me a TON of money though! Thanks for watching!
I bet you get confused a lot don’t you? 😁
I think everyone watched wanting to see it after it was sealed
Thanks for watching! Hmm.... I didn't show that, and since it's done every three years, I'll probably want to do that the next time! Good luck in all your DIY endeavors!
It would be funny if he added a shot of his wife coming out asking, "Honey, I can't find our stew pot, have you seen it?"
Well....She DID complain a little that I used one of her "old" canning kettles! She WAS, however, happy the cracks were filled! Thanks for watching!
Would be funny I agee
Thank you for making
We melt the plastic with it.
Thanks for watching! Next time I'll just leave the plastic on and melt it with the block! Thanks for the tip!
Crack is a killer everywhere! Ask Hunter
Thanks for watching. Yes, fixing these cracks is an annual battle. Good luck with your DIY repairs!
Can use a turkey frier
Hi thanks for viewing! A turkey fryer is essentially what I did here, but be careful! No matter how cautious you are, SOME melted asphalt will get on it and it's tough to clean up. So that's why I used a salvaged side-burner from a discarded gas grill, specifically adapted for ONLY this purpose. Good luck!
Perhaps I’ve never seen one. Is it the same as a turkey fryer?
I would make such a mess.
It IS messy, for sure. Be sure to wear old clothes and shoes you don't mind getting tar on, and heavy leather gloves and tools that you don't mind sacrificing. Thanks for watching!
i think i would have put the un cut bag in boiling water.
Could work - maybe I'd be able to peel off the plastic bag then! Thanks for watching!