If left unchecked, potholes can damage your car, slow traffic, and cause tripping hazards for pedestrians. But repairing them doesn’t have to be a hassle or expensive. Learn how to do it yourself with these simple steps.

How to repair a pothole are inevitable, and many of them form because of unsealed asphalt that freezes and thaws over time, causing the surrounding pavement to crack and deteriorate. Regular maintenance, including regular crack sealing and professional paving repair, can help minimize the need for costly repairs and keep your pavement in better condition.

For minor potholes, cold patch is a quick and economical solution. The material is poured into the hole, leveled and tamped down to ensure that the new layer stays in place.

Navigating the Process: How to Repair a Pothole Safely

A permanent fix requires a little more work but is well worth the effort. Start by removing any loose debris from the pothole and rinsing it to remove dirt, rocks and other contaminants. Then, cut a section of the damaged asphalt with a shovel or putty knife and use chalk to outline cutting sections (check that you’re not damaging structurally sound asphalt).

Apply a tack coat to the prepared surface, then fill and compact the resulting patch with your chosen mixture, slightly overfilling it to account for compaction. Finally, top the repaired area with a final asphalt layer and compact it as well to blend the edges with the existing surface seamlessly. This step is especially important if you chose to use hot-mix asphalt in your pothole repair.