Asphalt pavement requires maintenance, and when the temperatures drop in the winter months it can become more difficult to keep yours in healthy shape. Why? Because throughout the winter, your asphalt is freezing and thawing based on changing temperatures. Ice and snow can accumulate on the surface and pool as it melts which can cause damage. When water freezes, it expands. This means that if water finds its way into a pothole or crack (via rain, melted ice or snow), it will create pressure that could worsen the hole or crack as it freezes over. But how can you protect your asphalt NOW? Let’s help.

 

Prepare For Snow Before It Happens

Before your area is hit with snow, survey your asphalt for cracks and potholes and make sure the entire area is free of debris. Cleaning your asphalt prior to snow ensures that large objects will not freeze over and hinder snowplows from doing their job successfully without damage to their equipment or your asphalt. Taking notice of issues like cracks or potholes gives you the opportunity to repair them immediately before snow and freezing water causes more potential damage.

 

Sealcoating

Sealcoating with an asphalt base will restore the oil/tar content that oxidizes from the asphalt material and make it less prone to cracks caused by climate change. Sealcoating generally needs a nightly temperature of at least 50 degrees to work properly, so if it is too cold in your area consider hiring professional help to do as much crack-filling as possible.

 

Shovel/Snow Removal

It’s a hefty job, but somebody has got to do it. If you let snow pile up onto your asphalt it can melt and cause serious damage to the asphalt itself and to the vehicles traveling on it. Keeping your asphalt free of standing water and piles of snow is essential to protecting it. Sometimes this can be as easy as regular shoveling, and other times with large parking lots or main roads it is a job best suited for a company that provides snow removal services. Try to shovel as much as possible before resorting to de-icing methods, as salt in water runoff can sometimes be harmful to local plants and animals.

 

Ready For Professional Help With Your Asphalt?

Call Tristate Paving. We’re a seasoned hardscaping company based in Maryland and have the experience and knowledge help with all of your asphalt parking lot installation needs. You can reach us at any of our area numbers for more information and advice.

Our area numbers are:

West Chester: 610.563.9456

Oxford: 610.932.3566

Delaware: 302.757.4100

Check back here for weekly updates on current projects, important paving facts and info, and smart ideas for homeowners and business owners interested in concrete, asphalt or hardscaping work. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+!

Tags: asphalt, asphalt maintenance, asphalt repair, crackfilling, sealcoating, snow removal, winter asphalt

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 at 7:46 pm and is filed under Asphalt Paving, Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.