When a pothole is too deep to fill in one pass we layer materials to prevent sinking and ensure a durable surface.

Start by clearing the hole of loose debris and standing water using a stiff broom and a pump or absorbent if needed. For very deep voids fill the lowest portion with stone chip up to thirty millimeters before adding any cold tar mix so the base is stable and allows compaction equipment to work. Place cold tar mix in layers no thicker than two to three inches and compact each layer with a hand tamper or plate compactor until the material no longer yields under load. Feather the edges of each lift so the new material bonds to the existing pavement and avoid sloping a hard lip that will shed traffic load. If temperatures are low warm the cold tar mix in sunlight or a warm area for a short time to improve workability but do not overheat the bagged product. Check each compacted lift for voids by running a straightedge across the surface and adding a small topping if any low spots appear before proceeding to the next layer.

Common mistakes include placing the cold tar mix directly into a deep hole without a stone chip foundation which allows the material to settle and the repair to fail; fix this by always filling the deepest part with stone chip to about thirty millimeters before adding the tar mix. Another error is compacting only the final surface which traps air and causes subsidence; remedy that by compacting every lift fully until firm before adding the next. A third issue is leaving sharp edges between old pavement and the repair which concentrates stress and leads to cracking; prevent this by feathering the edges of each layer and blending the last lift smoothly with the surrounding surface.

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