I finally fixed a corner crack that kept coming back for 5 summers

Was filling the same hairline crack on my driveway corner every spring, it never held past July. Last week I saw a comment on an asphalt forum from some guy in Ohio, he said most people fill too shallow, you gotta dig out 3 inches deep and use a backer rod before the crack filler. I thought that was just for concrete. But I tried it on Saturday, dug it all out with a flathead and a shop vac, shoved a 1/2 inch backer rod in there, then used the self leveling stuff. Took about 2 hours total for an 8 foot section. It feels solid already, not like the usual thin skim I'd just glob on top. Anyone else ever go deeper than the crack itself and actually solve it for good, or am I just fooling myself again?

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the_sean21d ago

So you really think a half inch backer rod and some goop is gonna outlast five years of Ohio winters?... I mean, that crack kept coming back because your driveway corner takes the brunt of every freeze and thaw cycle. Digging deeper just gives the water more room to get under the filler and pop it out from below. I've seen guys do the exact same thing on their patios and walkways, and by the next spring they're right back to patching the same line. The real fix is usually a control joint cut or redoing that corner section with actual concrete, not stuffing foam in a crack and hoping for the best. You might get a full year out of it, but I'd bet cash that crack shows back up before July.