BUTLER TWP — Less than a year after the township paved nearly a quarter of its roads, poor oil or stones have caused some of that work to start breaking apart.

Fred Spohn, road superintendent, said the township double sealed 32 roads last summer and all those roads have had more stone come off than normal. That represents about seven miles of the township's 90 miles of roads.

Russell Standard, the company contracted to seal the roads, said it would redo the work in the spring at no cost to the township.

Matt Johnson, company president, said Friday that the company has sent a letter to the township, notifying it of Russell Standard's intention to repair the roads.

Spohn said it is usual to have about 10 percent of the stone used during the double-seal process come off in the weeks after completing the work.

But since the work, he said, the township has had to sweep the 32 roads two and, in some cases, three times, as opposed to the usual one time.

"That's when we realized we had a problem," he said.

Although the company has encountered a few similar problems in the past, Johnson said this type of situation is rare.

He said several factors could affect the seal coat, including weather, temperature, the time of year the work was done and the type of stone used.

Spohn said double sealed roads typically have a life span of at least four years. He said he could not comment on the expected life span of the roads in their current condition.

Since being informed of the problem, Johnson also said the company has provided the township with a street sweeper at no cost.

In July, township commissioners voted to award the sealing contract to Russell Standard for $126,932.

Although Spohn said he could not estimate the repair cost, township manager Gerald Patterson put it at about $90,000.

Patterson said the township has used Russell Standard in the past, and the company's record has been satisfactory.