Petrotac vs. Paving Fabric
Same category (asphalt-saturated interlayers), very different install. Peel-and-stick for cracks and joints. Hot-laid paving fabric for full overlays. Here's how to pick — and where each is stocked or installed.
Side-By-Side
| Feature | Petrotac (Peel-and-Stick) | Contractor-Grade Paving Fabric |
|---|---|---|
| Install method | Peel liner, position, warm, roll down | Hot asphalt tack coat, lay fabric into tack, overlay on top |
| Widths available | 1 ft, 1.5 ft, 4 ft (108 ft rolls) | 10–15 ft rolls |
| DIY-friendly? | Yes — homeowners and small crews | No — requires spray-tack truck |
| Best use | Spot-treating cracks, joints, utility cuts | Full overlays, whole lots, road segments |
| Where you buy it | BuyGeogrid stocks it | Installed by Asphalt Fabrics & Specialties |
| Equipment needed | Torch or heat gun + roller | Distributor spray truck, paver |
| Scale of job | Small to medium — targeted areas | Medium to large — parking lots, roads |
The Simple Rule
Petrotac
You have specific cracks or joints you want to bridge. You can install it yourself with a torch. You're working around driveways, sidewalks, small commercial pavement.
Petrotac widths & pricing →Paving Fabric
You're overlaying a full lot or road segment. You want reflective crack protection across the entire pavement, not just at cracks. Our sister company AF&S installs this.
Asphalt Fabrics & Specialties →Both Products Solve the Same Problem
Reflective cracking — cracks in an existing pavement that show back up in a new overlay within a season or two. Both Petrotac and contractor-grade paving fabric put an asphalt-saturated membrane between the old and new pavement, forcing any movement in the old crack to dissipate laterally instead of propagating up into the new layer.
The choice is about install scale, not effectiveness. Both work when installed properly.
FAQ
What's the actual difference between Petrotac and paving fabric?
Both are asphalt-saturated interlayers that go between two layers of pavement to stop cracks from reflecting through — the general product category is "reflective crack mitigation." Petrotac is a peel-and-stick membrane sold in narrow widths (1ft, 1.5ft, 4ft) that anyone with a torch can install over individual cracks or joints. Contractor-grade paving fabric is a wider (10–15 ft) roll that gets installed hot: a hot asphalt tack coat is sprayed on the pavement, the fabric is laid into the tack, then the overlay is placed on top. Same purpose. Very different install.
When do I use Petrotac?
Petrotac is the peel-and-stick answer for spot-treating cracks and joints — anywhere you have a specific line of failure you want to bridge before overlaying or seal-coating. Homeowners, small contractors, and property managers use it because a homeowner or single-truck crew can install it. If you're not overlaying a whole lot — just repairing the bad spots — Petrotac is what you want.
When do I use paving fabric?
When you're overlaying a full lot, road segment, or parking area — anywhere you want reflective crack protection under the entire overlay, not just at specific cracks. Paving fabric is a contractor-installed product because the install requires a spray-tack truck, hot asphalt, and a fabric layer that has to go down clean before the paver arrives. Our sister company Asphalt Fabrics & Specialties performs this exact install as a service across Northern Ohio.
Can I mix them?
On the same job, sometimes — you'd use paving fabric across the majority of the overlay area and Petrotac to spot-treat specific problem joints (like around utility cuts) that need extra reinforcement. But for a homeowner or property manager, pick one: Petrotac for cracks and joints, paving fabric (contractor-installed) for full overlays.
What widths does Petrotac come in?
Three: 1ft (12"), 1.5ft (18") — note the misleading "petrotac-15ft" URL but the product is 1.5 ft not 15 ft — and 4ft (48"). All rolls are 108 ft long, all peel-and-stick. 1ft handles narrow cracks, 1.5ft is the workhorse, 4ft is for wider joints and utility-cut patches. In stock at our Solon, OH warehouse.
Does BuyGeogrid sell contractor-grade paving fabric?
BuyGeogrid is the peel-and-stick side (Petrotac). Contractor-grade non-peel-and-stick paving fabric is a service specialty — it needs the hot-tack install to work — which is why our sister company Asphalt Fabrics & Specialties (asphaltfabrics.com) performs it as an installed service, not a distributed product. If you're a contractor asking about buying rolls for your own install, call us and we can point you the right direction.
Ready to Stop the Cracks?
Petrotac in stock. Call for pricing on rolls or to talk through your job.