Potholes: the nemesis of many car tyres. Whether on public roads or private properties and driveways, potholes pose a safety risk to pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers, and cause untold amounts of expensive damage to vehicles.
So when you call in a company to repair a pothole, should they carry out a hot mix or cold mix repair? Let us guide you through the hot mix vs cold mix debate and the factors you need to consider when making your decision.
How are potholes caused?
When considering whether to use hot mix or cold mix to repair your pothole, it’s important to know how potholes are formed.
One moment it’s pouring with rain and the next, the newly-fallen rain is frozen as overnight temperatures drop. The Great British climate is varied, with temperatures dancing far above and well below freezing in the same 24-hour period.
An unfortunate side effect to this unpredictability is the development of potholes, which appear over time as the surface freezes and thaws repeatedly, with cracks forming and the surface becoming compromised.
Cold mix pothole repairs
During a cold mix pothole repair, a pre-mixed formula is used to fill the pothole, before being compacted.
Benefits of a cold mix pothole repair
- No large machinery is required
- Repairs can be carried out very quickly
- Often the cheaper repair option
Hot mix pothole repairs
When repairing a pothole with hot asphalt, the surface around the hole is excavated before the hot mix is poured onto the whole area. Not only is the pothole filled, the area around it is repaired and so too is the root cause of the pothole.
Benefits of hot mix pothole repair
- The cause of the pothole is removed during the excavation, so the pothole is unlikely to return
- The repair is long-lasting, which cannot be said for its cold mix equivalent
- Matches in with existing surface
A&MT Contractors repair potholes across the UK, and our depot locations give us easy access to pothole repairs in London, Cambridgeshire, and Lincolnshire. We can guide you through the hot mix vs cold mix debate and make sure you choose the right option for you. Get a free quote now for our pothole repair service.
