Tree Roots Lifting Asphalt: What a Repair Can and Cannot Fix, With Alec's Asphalt Paving of Little Rock
The bump you feel at the curb comes first. A dolly's wheels catch where the driveway apron meets the street. The asphalt edge sits higher than it did last year, and the surface looks pushed up from below. On my appliance route around central Arkansas, the nearest tree is the first suspect.
Tree roots lift asphalt because they thicken as they grow and push upward against the pavement over them. A repair can cut out the raised section and make the surface level again, but it cannot stop the root from growing. Alec's Asphalt Paving, a family-owned Little Rock company started in 2015, does asphalt repair and patching, including level corrections.
Why do roots lift pavement?
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach explains it in a page by Aaron Steil and Jeffery Iles, last reviewed in July 2024. "As roots expand, they can push up sections of the sidewalk, resulting in buckling and lifting," it says. Roots can also enter small cracks and widen them. Purdue Extension says surface roots can "possibly even buckle sidewalks and driveways."
Those pages describe concrete walks and lawns. The same upward push can reach the edge of an asphalt drive.
What can a repair do, and what can it not?
A repair can cut out the humped section, rebuild what is under it, lay new hot mix, and restore a level surface that sheds water. Alec's Asphalt Paving lists asphalt repair and patching with crack filling, potholes, and level corrections.
A repair cannot remove the root or stop it thickening. Purdue makes the same point about a thin layer of soil over surface roots: it is temporary, since roots reappear as they thicken. A patch over a live root sits over the same push.
Can a root be cut?
Only with care, and the tree has a say before the pavement does. Purdue advises that pruning "should be confined to situations where the roots are breaking up sidewalks or driveways," and warns that cutting "can harm or even kill the tree." Iowa State advises avoiding cuts to roots over 2 inches in diameter. It adds, "When roots must be cut at a distance at or less than 1.5 times the trunk's diameter, tree removal is a more prudent option."
Which root can go is a question for a certified arborist, not a paving crew.
Is it a root heave or a failed base?
A root heave is a hump or ridge that sits closest to a tree. A failed base looks different: sunken wheel tracks, alligator cracking, potholes, or standing water, none of which need a tree nearby. The difference matters because an overlay will not fix those base problems, and the defects reflect back through a new surface. Have the spot looked at in person before choosing between a patch, an overlay, and a rebuild.
Do root barriers keep roots out?
Partly. Iowa State says barriers "must be at least 18 inches deep" and warns, "Even with barriers, roots may still find a way to grow beneath sidewalks." Purdue is blunter: "most root barriers will fail," either when the plastic cracks or when roots grow over the top. A barrier buys time. It is not a guarantee.
When is the answer a section rebuild?
Rebuild when the same spot lifts again after a patch or the hump is wide. Rebuild when the asphalt around the root has cracked into blocks, or when an arborist says the root cannot be cut. An overlay is not a rebuild. It does not fix base movement, and the hump shows through a new surface.
A section rebuild takes out the raised asphalt, settles the root question first, then restores the base and the asphalt. Alec's Asphalt Paving works out compacted thickness per job, and the written quote states it in inches, compacted. That number decides whether the new section lasts fifteen years or three.
Alec's Asphalt Paving does repair, patching, overlay, and resurfacing work, and you can see the details before you call.
What do the options cost?
Typical Arkansas ranges run about $3 to $15 per square foot for repair and patching. An overlay or resurfacing runs $3 to $9, and new asphalt $5 to $15. Small jobs cost more per square foot, because crew, roller, and hot-mix delivery carry minimums. These are market ranges, not Alec's price list. The final number depends on the job, including how far the root has disturbed the base.
How do I keep the next tree from doing this?
Plant with the pavement in mind. Iowa State says, "Rooting areas less than four feet wide should not be considered for any tree species." A narrow strip between a drive and the street is a root problem waiting to happen. The cheapest fix is the one chosen before the tree goes in.
Questions people ask
Should I call an arborist or a paver first? Start with the arborist about the root, then the paver about the asphalt. Alec's Asphalt Paving gives free written estimates.
Where is Alec's Asphalt Paving? At 1501 Westpark Dr #68, Little Rock, AR 72204, phone (501) 506-6799. It works in every town in Arkansas.
About Alec's Asphalt Paving
- 1501 Westpark Dr #68, Little Rock, AR 72204
- (501) 506-6799
- Alec's Asphalt Paving in Little Rock
Comments
Post a Comment