Sakrete | U.S. Cold Patch Permanent Pothole Repair | 50 lb

A cold-weather pothole fix I actually trust

I tested Sakrete Cold Patch during the kind of weather most asphalt jobs are supposed to avoid: a bright, bitter morning in the low 20s with a damp breeze. I had two problems to tackle—a classic pothole near the apron of my driveway and a sunken low spot where tires always track. I wanted something I could put down, compact, and drive on the same day without bringing in a crew or waiting for warm weather. This mix delivered.

What’s in the bag and how it handles

The material pours out as a dark gray, granular mix with a blend of aggregate sizes. Out of the bag it looks a little dry and crumbly, which initially made me wonder if it would knit together. It does—under compaction. That’s the key with this product: it’s not sticky like traditional cold patch, and there’s virtually no odor or oily residue. Workability is excellent in cold temps; I didn’t find any big fused clumps, so it spreads and rakes easily.

The 50-lb bag is manageable to move around with a hand truck, and the packaging held up without tearing. For reference, one bag roughly fills:
- About 6 square feet at 1-inch depth
- About 1 square foot at 6-inch depth

If your repair is deeper than a couple inches, plan on multiple bags and install in lifts.

My application process

I always prep asphalt patches the same way—quick, clean, and square:
1. Remove loose debris. A stiff broom and a flat shovel are enough for most DIY repairs. If you have a shop vac, even better.
2. Square up edges. Vertical sides help the patch lock in; I used a cold chisel to knock back undercut edges.
3. Dry enough is fine. The surface was damp from overnight frost, but not wet with standing water. This mix tolerates that.

For the pothole (about 18" x 18" x 3" deep), I installed the mix in two lifts:
- First lift: filled to just under the surrounding grade and tamped hard with a 10-lb hand tamper. The surface changed from crumbly to dense, with aggregate locking and a slight sheen.
- Second lift: overfilled by about 1/2 inch to allow for final compaction. I tamped thoroughly, then rolled a car tire over it several passes. Within minutes, the patch tightened up and sat flush with the existing pavement.

For the broader low spot (a shallow saucer that collected water), I feathered the material and compacted in sections to avoid soft edges.

Immediately after compaction, I could drive over both areas without tracking material or leaving ruts. No mess on the tires, and no smell in the garage.

Performance after traffic and weather

The strength of this mix shows up after compaction and a little traffic. It doesn’t “dry” so much as become mechanically locked and consolidated. After repeated passes, the surface remained tight with no significant scuffing. It’s not rubbery; it feels dense and surprisingly rigid underfoot—closer to hot mix than most off-the-shelf cold patches.

After a few weeks of freeze-thaw and light snow, the pothole patch held its shape with no raveling. The wide low spot settled a touch—maybe an eighth of an inch—which is common for deep, soft areas. I topped it off with a thin lift and re-compacted in minutes. Edges bonded well where I had squared and cleaned the sides; ragged edges where I got lazy showed a bit of aggregate shedding. Lesson learned: take two extra minutes to shape and clean the perimeter.

Color-wise, it’s a dark gray that blends reasonably well with aged asphalt. It’s not jet black out of the bag, but once compacted and dusted with road grit, it doesn’t stand out.

All-weather claims, tested

Cold temperatures didn’t hinder compaction or cohesion. If anything, the clean, low-odor binder makes cold work more pleasant than the typical tarry mixes. Damp conditions were also a non-issue provided I compacted thoroughly. The one caveat: if a patch isn’t compacted well, heavy rain or active traffic can disturb it before it locks. Make sure to tamp the edges aggressively and don’t leave uncompacted material on the surface.

Coverage, quantity, and cost

Estimating material is where most DIY asphalt patches go sideways. As a quick guide:
- 1 bag (50 lb) ≈ 0.5 cubic feet
- A 2' x 2' hole at 3" deep ≈ 1.0 cubic feet → plan on 2 bags
- A 2' x 2' hole at 6" deep ≈ 2.0 cubic feet → plan on 4 bags

For deep repairs, build up in 1–2 inch lifts, compacting each layer. Expect to use more material than your first glance suggests, especially if the base is soft.

Tips to get the best results

• Compact like you mean it. A hand tamper is ideal; in a pinch, a sledgehammer face or a short 4x4 works. Finish by slowly rolling a vehicle tire over the patch several passes.
• Overfill slightly. Leave about 1/2 inch proud for the top lift to achieve flush grade after compaction.
• Square the edges. Vertical sides prevent raveling and help the patch interlock with existing asphalt.
• Keep it clean. Dust, organic debris, and loose stone undermine adhesion. A quick vacuum pass pays off.
• Work in lifts. Anything deeper than 2 inches should be installed in layers for a denser, longer-lasting repair.
• Protect high edges. On driveway aprons, consider a bead of crack sealant after a week to waterproof the joint.

Where it shines

• Fast, drive-on-now repairs without scheduling a hot-mix crew
• Cold-weather or shoulder-season work when plants are closed
• Low-odor, low-mess jobs around homes, schools, and facilities
• Potholes, utility cuts, and sunken tire tracks in existing asphalt

Where it’s not the answer

• Large areas with a failed base or active subgrade movement
• Thin overlays meant to “resurface” wide spans—this is a patch, not a paving mix
• Situations where you won’t or can’t compact adequately

What I’d change

• Clearer on-bag guidance. A simple coverage chart by hole size and depth would help users buy enough the first time.
• Emphasize lift thickness and edge preparation. These two steps make or break the result, especially for first-timers.
• A small, resealable bag size option would be handy for hairline or shallow touch-ups without leftover material.

Bottom line

Sakrete Cold Patch is a genuinely useful, low-odor asphalt repair mix that rewards proper compaction with a durable, traffic-ready patch—even in cold, damp weather. It spreads easily, locks up tight under a tamper, and stands up to everyday vehicle traffic without smearing or shedding. While deep or broad depressions will always demand more material and careful layering, this mix makes fast, clean work of the typical driveway or parking-lot pothole.

Recommendation: I recommend this for homeowners, property managers, and maintenance crews who need a reliable cold-applied patch with minimal mess and immediate return to service. It’s not a cure-all for structural base failures, and you’ll want to follow best practices for prep and compaction, but if you do, the results hold up and blend in far better than the budget cold patches I’ve used.