Fixing Crumbling Bitumen Edges

By the Permanent Pothole Solutions team · Updated 26 October 2026

Edges crumble because there’s nothing holding them up: soil washes out, tyres run over the edge and the bitumen cracks off in pieces.

Step by step

1. Cut back. Remove loose and cracked material back to a firm edge.
2. Fix the support. Fill washed-out soil beside the edge and compact it.
3. Patch. Lay 7 Gauge or 10 Gauge, at least 25mm deep, and over-fill slightly.
4. Compact. Compact firmly against the existing bitumen and the new edge.

Fix the cause, not just the hole

Nearly every asphalt failure starts with water getting under the surface. Seal cracks while they’re small with Rubberised Crack Filler, repair broken areas with a dense, well-compacted patch, and rebuild the base wherever it has washed out.

Choosing the right gauge

Coverage at a glance

• 15kg bag/bucket ≈ 0.13 m² at 50mm
• 20kg bag/bucket ≈ 0.17 m² at 50mm
• 1 tonne bulk bag ≈ 8.7 m² at 50mm

Need an exact number? Use the Asphalt Calculator.

Why Asphalt in a Bag

• Permanent. Expands and contracts with the road surface, so the patch moves with the pavement instead of breaking away.
• Cures on impact. Curing is activated by compaction — tamp it or roll it and it sets.
• Bonds to anything. Adheres to asphalt, concrete, steel and even wood.
• Any weather. Apply from -26°C to 49°C, in rain, or straight into a pothole full of water.
• No tack coat. No pre-coating or priming. Open, pour, compact.
• Traffic-ready. Application is up to five times faster, and it can take traffic immediately.

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