Fixing a pothole

Tamp the loose bitumen down with a rather large hunk of lumber or the flat surface of a cinder block.

If you've ever dreamed of working on a road crew, don't be alarmed. I have that dream too. But why torment yourself with this unfulfilled fantasy? You can make your dream come true.

All you need to fix your own pothole is a bag of bitumen - a conveniently cooled and packaged version of the hot, smoking asphalt that road crews use. You can get your own bags of room temperature bitumen for about seven bucks at the hardware store, and I think the word "party" comes to mind right away, doesn't it? Because strutting around with a bag of bitumen gives you some kind of social advantage over those who don't have bitumen, or even know what it is.

I learned about the joys of asphalt repair when I was growing up in small-town Ontario. My Dad would call the town to report a pothole in front of our place. Twenty minutes later, when the works department STILL hadn't shown up, Dad would decide to show the town a thing or two about promptness by hauling out the bitumen and filling that dang hole himself. Then he'd stand out there beside his masterpiece, gloating, while the neighbours drifted over to admire the repair and ask bitumen-related questions. Life was sweet.

Tools and Materials

• Shovel
• Wisk or broom
• Dustpan and brush
• Hose and spray nozzle
• Shop vacuum (optional)
• Heat gun (if needed)
• Gloves
• Eight-foot piece of 4x4 lumber (for tamping)
• Asphalt patch (bitumen)

What my Dad knew was that the sooner you fix a pothole the better. Potholes cause awkward skateboard wipe-outs and I've got the scars to prove it. But more importantly, if you don't repair potholes, rainwater collects in them, seeps under the driveway surface and permeates the underlying layer, which eventually freezes and heaves the surface, further breaking down intact asphalt around the pothole.

TIP: Pick a nice hot day for this. Not only will you get a more realistic road crew experience, but you'll also find the asphalt easier to work with when it's warm and soft.

Step One - Prepping The Hole

Start by using a shovel to remove the bulk of the gravel and debris from the pothole. Keep going until you've reached the layer of compacted gravel that forms the foundation of the driveway. Break off and remove any loose chunks around the edge of the pothole too.

Next, use a broom or whisk, followed by a fine brush to thoroughly rid the cavity of dust particles. If you have a shop vac, you can even vacuum the cavity. This may seem like overkill, but if you leave a layer of dust, the fresh asphalt will never get a good grip on the bottom layer, and your patch will just jostle around in the hole until it, too, breaks up.

The final step in the preparation sequence requires blasting the hole with a quick spray from a hose fitted with a nozzle. This wets down any remaining dust without saturating the cavity.

Step Two - Fill That Baby

Dump enough bitumen into the hole to reach half an inch higher than the surrounding driveway surface. If the bitumen is stiff and chunky, soften it up with a heat gun (or a hair dryer if that's all you've got).

Tamp the loose bitumen down with a rather large hunk of lumber or the flat surface of a cinder block. Make sure you grunt a fair bit. This puts you in touch with your inner hellion, but in a wholesome way.

Pay special attention to tamping the edges of the patch; the more tightly compacted they are, the less they'll start busting up under the usual driveway wear and tear.

Once you've tamped the patch into an invincible little plug, sweep some dust over the top of it to prevent it from sticking to tires and bare feet.

NOTE: If the tamping thing seems dangerously close to some primal ritual, you're on the right track. If, on the other hand, you feel tamping is too darn much work, simply drive over the patch a few times in your car. But while you're driving over it, at least make the sound of a steamroller.