Extend the Life of Your Pavement
Fabric overlays — also known as petromat overlays — are one of the most effective methods for extending the life of existing asphalt pavement. By installing a geotextile fabric membrane between the existing surface and a new asphalt overlay, NPG Asphalt creates a moisture barrier and stress-absorbing layer that significantly delays reflective cracking and water damage.
NPG has decades of experience installing fabric overlays for parking lots, highways, residential roadways, and commercial properties across the Inland Empire and all of Southern California. If your pavement is showing its age but the base structure is still sound, a fabric overlay may be the most cost-effective way to restore your surface and add years of service life.
How Fabric Overlays Work
Over time, cracks in existing asphalt tend to migrate upward through new overlay surfaces — a problem known as reflective cracking. A fabric overlay addresses this by placing a paving fabric (petromat) over the existing surface before the new asphalt is applied. The fabric serves two critical functions:
Moisture Barrier: The fabric, saturated with tack coat, creates a waterproof membrane that prevents water from penetrating through cracks in the old surface and reaching the base layers. Water infiltration is one of the primary causes of base failure, potholes, and structural deterioration.
Stress Absorption: The fabric absorbs and distributes the stress caused by movement in the old pavement, preventing existing cracks from reflecting through to the new surface. This significantly extends the time before the new overlay begins to show cracking.
The Fabric Overlay Process
Surface Preparation: The existing asphalt surface is cleaned and any necessary repairs are made, including crack filling and patching of severely deteriorated areas.
Tack Coat Application: A heavy application of asphalt tack coat is sprayed over the existing surface. This serves as both the adhesive for the fabric and the sealant that saturates the geotextile material.
Fabric Installation: The paving fabric is rolled out over the tack coat, ensuring full contact and proper overlap at seams. The fabric is smoothed to eliminate wrinkles and ensure a flat, uniform surface.
Asphalt Overlay: New hot-mix asphalt is placed over the fabric to the specified thickness, then compacted using commercial-grade rollers. The result is a fresh, smooth surface with built-in protection against moisture and reflective cracking.
Fabric Overlay vs. Standard Overlay
A standard asphalt overlay without fabric will eventually develop reflective cracks as movement in the old surface works its way through the new layer. While a standard overlay costs less upfront, the fabric overlay delivers significantly longer service life by delaying reflective cracking, often by several years or more. For properties where the existing cracking is moderate to heavy, the additional cost of fabric is a smart investment.
Areas We Serve
NPG Asphalt provides fabric overlay services throughout the Inland Empire, including Riverside, Perris, Moreno Valley, Corona, Temecula, Murrieta, Menifee, and all of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. We also serve Orange County and the greater Los Angeles area.
Call us at (951) 940-0200 or request a quote online. With NPG's fabric overlay experience, your paving project is built to last.