Liquid Rubber Asphalt Patch – 11lb Pail Ready-to-Use Pothole Repair for Driveways, Parking Lots, Pathways & Roads – Easy All-Weather Application – No Mixing Required

Why I tried it

A small depression at the end of my driveway had quietly turned into a shallow pothole that collected water and started nibbling at the edges of the asphalt. I didn’t want to haul a 50-pound bag of cold patch for what was essentially a small fix, so I reached for Liquid Rubber’s asphalt patch in the 1-gallon pail. The promise is straightforward: ready to use, no mixing, works in a range of weather, and durable enough for vehicle traffic. I used it for two repairs: a 2-by-2-foot dip that maxed out at about an inch deep, and a slightly deeper edge break where asphalt meets concrete.

Packaging and first impressions

The patch comes in a resealable pail with the material itself bagged inside. That bag-in-bucket approach keeps things tidy—nice if you’re doing touch-ups and don’t want the whole pail open to the air while you work. The material is a dense, slightly moist cold patch—think of traditional asphalt mix but formulated to be workable straight from the container. It has the familiar asphalt odor, so I wore gloves and worked outdoors with no issues.

Consistency-wise, it’s pliable and “trowelable.” I could scoop it with a small spade, spread it with a margin trowel, and compact it without fighting a dry, crumbly mix. For small areas, I got by with basic homeowner tools: a spade, trowel, and a short 2x4 paired with a 3-pound hammer for tamping. A hand tamper would be even better, and a plate compactor is ideal for larger patches, but not essential at this size.

Application: straightforward, with a few best practices

Surface prep matters more than the product choice in many asphalt repairs, and that’s true here. I swept the areas aggressively, scraped out loose material, and vacuumed out dust along the edges. You want clean, solid edges and a debris-free base so the patch can grab.

A couple of practical notes from my use:

• Don’t exceed about 2 inches of depth per lift. If you’ve got a deeper hole, fill and compact in layers.
• Leave the repair slightly proud of the existing surface to account for compaction. A hair over the grade is better than under.
• Compact thoroughly and from multiple directions. I tamped around the perimeter first, then worked towards the middle to reduce edge lift.

Because this is a cold patch formulated for all-weather use, I tested it on a cool fall day with some surface dampness and again on a hot afternoon in direct sun. In both cases, the mix remained workable and compacted well. It doesn’t mind cool or warm conditions, but you’ll still want to avoid standing water and brush off any fine dust before applying.

Coverage and quantity expectations

This pail is best suited for small jobs. A quick rule of thumb: 1 gallon (about 11 pounds) of cold patch will cover roughly 1.2–1.3 square feet at 1 inch thick, or about 0.6–0.7 square feet at 2 inches thick. My 2-by-2-foot dip at roughly 1 inch used nearly the entire pail. For anything beyond cosmetic patches, joints, and small potholes, you’ll run out quickly. If you’re planning to rebuild a larger, deeper pothole, a 50-pound bag makes more sense on a cost-per-repair basis.

Cure, compaction, and early performance

Cold patch never “cures” in the same way a hot-mix or a two-part epoxy would, but it does set up and harden as the volatiles flash off and the material compacts under traffic. After tamping, my patches were firm enough to handle careful foot traffic immediately. I kept car tires off them for about 24 hours, then resumed normal use. The edge break repair saw an overnight rain; the patch didn’t lift or wash out and continued to firm up over the next day.

It’s normal to see minor settling during the first week, especially if compaction was light. I left both patches slightly high and they flattened to level after a few passes of a vehicle. The result was a smooth, dark repair that blended acceptably. It won’t be invisible—fresh asphalt is darker than weathered—but it looks clean and professional once compacted and broomed.

Durability and weather resistance

The mix has a bit of give to it, which is exactly what you want for freeze-thaw cycles and small substrate movement. The edge repair, which had been prone to crumbling each winter, has remained intact through temperature swings and rainfall. Water doesn’t easily penetrate the finished patch, and I’ve seen no evidence of raveling at the edges so far. That flexibility is the advantage of a quality cold patch: it resists cracking and shrinking better than some bargain bin mixes, especially on smaller repairs where structural loads are modest.

Long-term, the life of any cold patch depends on prep and compaction more than anything else. Cut clean edges, compact thoroughly, and avoid underfilling; do those basics and this patch holds up well for the intended scale of repair.

Cleanup and handling

Cleanup is simple. The manufacturer recommends baby oil or mineral spirits, and both work for removing residue from tools and gloves. Because the material comes bagged in the pail, resealing it is easy. I used part of the pail, pressed the bag to squeeze out air, resealed, and came back a week later—still workable. I wouldn’t plan on storing a half-empty pail for months, but across a few weeks, it kept fine.

How it compares to other options

• Versus big-box 50-lb cold patch: Those offer better value for larger jobs, and if you’re filling a deep or wide pothole, they’re the practical choice. However, they’re messy to handle for small repairs and can be drier or rockier, making neat cosmetic work more difficult.
• Versus hot-mix asphalt: Hot-mix delivers the best structural repair but requires equipment, scale, and timing that most homeowners won’t have. For quick, small fixes, this cold patch is far more convenient.
• Versus liquid crack fillers or sealers: Those excel at hairline cracks and sealing against water intrusion but aren’t intended to rebuild missing material. This patch fills volume and stands up to traffic.

In short, for small, high-visibility repairs where cleanliness and ease matter, this pail is a smart choice. For big structural patches, step up in quantity and tooling.

Tips for success

• Cut or square the edges of ragged holes; vertical faces bond better than feather edges.
• Clean aggressively: sweep, scrape, and vacuum.
• Place in lifts no thicker than ~2 inches, compacting each thoroughly.
• Leave the finished grade slightly high to account for compaction.
• Keep cars off for a day if you can; traffic afterward helps final compaction.
• If you need to feather to concrete, compact tightly at the transition to avoid chipping.

What I liked

• Truly ready to use; no mixing and easy to spread and tamp
• Works in cool, damp conditions and in summer heat
• Clean packaging with a bag-in-pail design and easy tool cleanup
• Flexible enough to resist cracking and edge raveling on small patches
• Produces a neat, dark finish that blends after some weathering

What could be better

• The 1-gallon quantity is only appropriate for small repairs
• Price per pound is high compared to bulk cold patch
• A small hand tamper isn’t included—understandable, but it’s the one tool that makes the biggest difference

Recommendation

I recommend Liquid Rubber’s asphalt patch for small driveway, parking pad, and pathway repairs where convenience, cleanliness, and all-weather usability matter more than price per pound. It’s easy to work with, compacts well with basic tools, and has the flexibility to handle freeze-thaw without crumbling. If you’re restoring a larger pothole or multiple deep spots, buy in bulk and use heavier compaction. But for the common homeowner-sized fix—a shallow dip, an edge failure at a concrete joint, or a localized pothole—this pail delivers a tidy, durable result with minimal fuss.