They are the bane of every driver’s life and, it seems, can’t be stopped. Whether a few centimetres in depth or diameter, or large enough to stand in, potholes cause a significant amount of damage to the nation’s vehicles daily. As residential and commercial surfacing contractors, Surex Surfacing Ltd deals with the issue of potholes regularly, witnessing just how much of a problem they can be for both pedestrians and drivers throughout the UK.
Based in Leatherhead, we provide road surfacing, resin surfacing, tarmacadam surfacing, car park resurfacing, tarmac repairs and resin driveway installations in Cobham and the surrounding areas. We also work across Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey, West Sussex and the wider South East.
These holes usually start as small cracks in a road’s surface and expand as heavy traffic continues to force the cracks open. No surfacing is immune, although potholes are more frequently seen where the road has been constructed using asphalt.
They form over five stages, with the initial cracks forming due to fatigue. This can occur if the layers beneath are not strong enough to withstand the level of traffic passing over them. The weight will cause them to buckle, and their movement will lead to the formation of the cracks. They can also appear where:
Localised road works may also affect the surrounding surface.
Once the crack has appeared, it will naturally fill with rainwater, seeping further into the sub-base layers. This will result in the softening of the soil beneath.
As the traffic above continues to pass over the crack and its damaged sublayers, the asphalt will begin to break away. Freezing temperatures will also cause the water to expand, leading to further deterioration of the road or driveway installation. Remaining water will also lead to the deterioration of the pothole’s inner walls.
The UK has a major pothole problem due to the amount of underground systems in place, such as the London Underground and transport tunnels. We also have a massive number of vehicles on the roads compared to other countries. This results in a lot of work for surfacing contractors, whose services include complete tarmac repairs, pothole repairs, tarmac resurfacing and car park line marking.
Potholes may continue to occur on roads and pavements where tarmac repairs have been completed, as these patches work like plasters. The solution is to carry out complete resurfacing, not just minor repairs. As resin surfacing and tarmacadam surfacing experts, Surex Surfacing carries out road, residential driveway and car park resurfacing to ensure Cobham properties remain free from such problems going forward.
The issue can also be avoided by the regular upkeep of public and private property drainage systems.
Call our surfacing contractors and tarmac specialists today to find out more about the works we complete in Cobham, including:
