Repairing potholes protects your vehicle and wallet

(BPT) - There are millions of potholes in the United States, so it is not surprising that nearly 500,000 insurance claims are filed annually due to damage caused by this unrelenting enemy of vehicles across the country. Making matters worse, these potholes often sit unrepaired for extended periods of time in the worst possible locations like residential driveways or business parking lots.

So what is a homeowner to do when faced with the dilemma of driving back-and-forth over a pothole in their driveway every day? What about a business owner who puts customer vehicles at risk with potholes left unaddressed?

The billions spent annually by federal, state and local government to maintain the nation’s highways, roads and bridges doesn’t include personal driveways or parking lots of private businesses. Fortunately, permanently repairing a pothole in a concrete or asphalt surface is easy, fast and inexpensive with right material, technique and a little effort.

Note - when working with cementitious and asphalt-based products, always wear eye protection and gloves.

Steps for repairing concrete potholes

* Square the pothole edges as much as possible using a chisel, hammer and shovel.

* Mix the QUIKRETE Concrete Mix as directed on the package.

* Remove any debris from the pothole and apply concrete bonding adhesive with a brush.

* Pour the concrete mix into the hole about 2 to 3 inches above the surrounding concrete.

* Pull a 2-by-4 over the surface in a sawing motion before using a float to smooth surface.

* Texture the surface with a stiff-bristled brush or broom.

* Allow pothole repair to set for 24 hours before driving on surface.

Steps for repairing asphalt potholes

* Square the pothole edges as much as possible using a chisel, hammer and shovel.

* Pour QUIKRETE Blacktop Repair into the hole about 2 to 3 inches above the surrounding asphalt.

* Consolidate and compact the blacktop repair with a tamper until a firm surface is achieved.

* A trick to further compact the repair material is to place a piece of plywood over the patch and slowly drive back-and-forth over the plywood in a vehicle several times.

For more tips, direction and information including a how-to video on repairing potholes and damaged concrete surfaces, visit QUIKRETE.com.