Last Updated on February 16, 2026

Over time, pavement will begin to crack and buckle. This is especially true in regions with a lot of rain and freeze-thaw cycles. These changes are not only eye sores, they can become safety hazards and damage property value.

By properly maintaining your facility’s pavement from the beginning, you can extend the life of your pavement and save time and money in the long run.

The best way to stay ahead of repairs and not get caught off guard by unexpected expenses is to create a detailed pavement maintenance plan.

Importance of Maintenance for Pavement Preservation

Performing pavement maintenance has several benefits beyond simply making your property look good. Proper preventive and emergency maintenance can help your facility in the following ways.

• Save Money: Performing regular maintenance on your pavement will extend its service life. The cost of repaving can add up quickly for large square footages. Extending the pavement’s life for even a couple of years can save a lot of money and allow you to build a longer-term budget for a repaving project.
• Create Better Traffic Flow: When pavement is damaged, drivers respond. Whether they swerve to avoid potholes or just slow down, damaged pavement impacts the flow of traffic through an area, whether a main thoroughfare or a parking lot.
• Protect Your Business: Even if poorly kept pavement doesn’t lead directly to a liability for the business, it is most people’s first introduction to your space and reflects on your brand. A smooth, safe surface for vehicles and pedestrians helps keep visitors happy.

But before you can maintain pavement, you have to ensure concrete is laid properly so it endures the test of time. Find our complete guide to laying concrete here.

Phases To Expect with Any Type of Pavement Maintenance

Of course, any type of pavement maintenance project will make the area unusable for a period of time. You’ll need to carefully plan and schedule each step to minimize disruption to drivers and pedestrians.

When planning, understand that all pavement repair methods include multiple steps or phases.

• Inspecting and Cleaning: Inspect the pavement when it is clean of debris or materials that could damage it.
• Crack Filling: Filling cracks will protect the pavement from seeping water and creating more damage.
• Sealcoating: Re-applying a sealcoat will help protect the pavement from the environment and materials like oil.
• Patching: Repairing damage, like potholes, will prevent the issues from spreading and extend the life of the pavement.
• Line Striping: Visible lines will minimize any liability you might face and keep traffic moving the way you want it to. Parking spots, roads and walkways will have clear delineation to keep vehicle operators and pedestrians safe.

4 Types of Pavement Maintenance Sealing

Part of the planning process includes knowing which type of pavement maintenance is needed in any given situation. Proactive maintenance of new pavement may require a different technique than the kind of process that extends the life of older, more worn out pavement. A comprehensive pavement maintenance plan should include action plans for how and when you’ll use each of the following techniques.

Fog Sealing

Fog sealing is the process of applying a thin, liquid oil to an existing pavement surface to seal narrow cracks. The material is sprayed onto pavement (like a fog) using a distributor truck. This can be done relatively quickly.

Fog sealing oil, or asphalt emulsion, generally contains asphalt, water and soap. Sometimes other chemicals are added to create a better bond with the existing pavement.

Best For: Proactive Preventive Maintenance

Fog sealing is done as preventive maintenance on an intermittent basis. It helps extend the life of pavement by sealing small cracks, reducing pavement frailty, and keeping the surface sealed and protected.

Slurry Sealing

Slurry sealing involves spreading a slurry made of asphalt emulsion, aggregate and additives over pavement. This mixture is thicker than the one used in fog sealing and creates a new top layer as well as filling small cracks.

Special trucks, called slurry trucks, are used to hold the materials and mix the slurry as it is needed. Once applied, the slurry dries and sets by evaporating. How long it takes to dry will depend on the weather conditions.

Best For: Preventive Maintenance and Mild to Moderate Wear

While slurry sealing can fill some small cracks, it is not intended to repair heavily damaged pavement. It is used to renew pavement that has seen a small to moderate amount of wear and needs a little more work than fog sealing can provide. Slurry sealing helps preserve and protect the underlying pavement structures.

Microsurfacing

Microsurfacing is similar to slurry sealing but can be done when slurry sealing might be inconvenient. Slurry sealing utilizes evaporation to dry and set. Microsurfacing, on the other hand, uses chemical additives that cause it to dry and set quicker.

Best For: Mild to Moderate Wear with Quick Results

Microsurfacing often dries much faster than slurry sealing and can be used in areas that do not get enough sunlight for slurry sealing to dry.

Chip Sealing

Chip sealing is done in a multi-step process. First, an asphalt emulsion is applied to the surface of the pavement similar to fog or slurry sealing. Then, crushed rocks, or “chips,” are spread over the emulsion with a chip spreader.

Rubber tired rollers are then used to push the chips down into the surface. Sometimes, a steel drum roller follows to help complete the process.

Next, the area is swept with a power sweeper to remove excess material that has not adhered properly. Finally, a topcoat, or flush coat, is applied. This step consists of a fog seal and sand to keep the chips sealed and absorb any excess emulsion.

Best For: Pavement Rehabilitation

Chip sealing can address more wear and tear than the other methods discussed above. It can seal narrow cracks, bind cracked pavement together, and provide a driving surface that protects the underlying pavement structure.

What to Include in a Proactive Pavement Maintenance Plan

Now that you know the basics of what’s involved with pavement maintenance treatments, you can create a proactive pavement maintenance plan. Use the steps below to craft an action plan that helps extend your pavement’s life, keeping it safe and attractive.

1. Regular Pavement Inspections

Every maintenance plan must include regular inspections. Regular pavement inspections will help you quickly notice when the pavement is beginning to look worn or if there is damage that needs to be addressed immediately. Inspections also help you know exactly when to schedule proactive treatments, like fog sealing.

Tips for Inspections:

• Make sure the pavement is clear of debris, snow and vehicles.
• Inspect the pavement multiple times throughout the year and in different weather conditions, like in rain and after snow melts. Inspecting during wet weather can help you identify drainage problems.
• Take photos each time to help you notice new damage or growing issues.
• Look for signs that a repair or other treatment is needed, like cracks, potholes, pooling water, buckling pavement and loose gravel.

2. Preventive Treatment Schedules

Plan and schedule regular preventive maintenance, like the four techniques above, for times when the pavement gets less use to minimize disruption. Doing preventive maintenance before or after seasons of rough weather or times of heavy use can minimize the damage that accumulates during these times.

Even a quick fog seal will help protect your pavement from the freeze-thaw cycle of winter, and slurry sealing or microsurfacing can ensure that your pavement survives the abuse of your facility’s busy season.

3. Action Plans for Making Timely Repairs

In addition to scheduling regular preventive maintenance, think ahead to how you’ll handle significant or emergency repairs and repaving.

Planning on how to handle major unexpected repairs will minimize disruption and save time.

• How will you reroute traffic and ensure safety? Have a plan on how you can reroute traffic from the area when a section becomes damaged or is undergoing repair. This may include setting up safety barriers and changing paint lines.
• Who oversees each step? Assign duties ahead of time. Whose job is it to report the damage and to whom? Can the repair be done in-house or should someone be hired? Who will manage the equipment? Decide who should be making these decisions and doing the work.
• Do you have the right pavement maintenance solutions? Pavement treatments and repairs require trucks, rollers and other equipment you may not need at any other time. Renting equipment can be an ideal solution. Plan ahead and establish a relationship with a high-quality equipment rental company as early as possible. Look for a provider with an extensive fleet of well-maintained equipment and experts who will help you get the work done efficiently.

4. Contact Information of Reliable Equipment Experts

All maintenance and repairs can be done more swiftly if you already know which experts you will collaborate with, particularly when it comes to equipment rentals. Make sure your maintenance plan includes contact details of your chosen experts.

If you outsource pavement maintenance to another company, make sure they have the right equipment and that your agreement includes provisions for repairing damage.

If you plan to do the work yourself, look for an equipment rental company that has a large, well-maintained fleet and wide selection of equipment. A reliable rental provider will offer flexible rental agreements, equipment transportation and safety training.

5. Safety Checklists

Working with asphalt can be dangerous and teams should follow all  safety regulations before and during the project. Your maintenance plan should include safety checklists that help minimize the risk of injury or accidents to employees, guests and property.

Checklist May Include:

• Safety training that team members must complete, especially if they’ll use heavy equipment.
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) that must be worn, like ventilators or eye protection.
• How to reroute traffic and pedestrians with sufficient signage.
• Common and potential safety hazards to look out for, including drainage issues.

Rent Road Maintenance Machines from Herc Rentals

Proactive pavement maintenance will help protect your property value by helping the area to look clean and well cared for. To minimize disruption and to keep your maintenance and repair jobs moving quickly, turn to the experts at Herc Rentals. Our large fleet of quality paving and asphalt equipment machines will transform your projects. From compact rammers to heavy-duty ride-on rollers, we have the tools to help you achieve superior results.

Explore our wide selection of compaction and paving equipment today or contact us for further assistance by calling 1-800-432-6215.