Have you noticed some potholes in your asphalt lately? The Cassidy Paving team wants you to know that this is a common occurrence during the winter. When it comes to repairing asphalt potholes, there are a couple of ways to handle them. There are both temporary and permanent fixes that have pros and cons. If you are in the New England area and are interested in pothole repair contractors, read on to find out what your options are during the harsh winter months.
What to Know About Patching Potholes
Potholes in Winter
If you’ve found your asphalt cracking more now than any other time of the year, it may leave you feeling frustrated. The appearance of potholes during the winter is actually a normal occurrence due to climate conditions. In New England, we experience long and severe winter weather that affects your driveway asphalt or commercial pavement. As your asphalt pavement expands and contracts with the freeze-thaw cycle your driveways and lots will shift. Many times a more severe shift comes from asphalt pavement that has not been properly maintained. According to Pothole.INFO, “the areas most prone to pothole development are where drainage is poor (particularly where roads dip, such as the trough under viaducts), where vehicular traffic is greatest – especially heavy vehicle traffic – and where poor maintenance allows small fissures to deteriorate”. Therefore, if you have not fixed any of the recent cracks or holes you have in your blacktop, you may see an increase in the number or severity of the potholes during the winter. Potholes are also a huge liability to your customers and staff. They can cause massive damage to cars and pedestrians who are unaware of snow covered potholes. Luckily, there are ways to fix these problems before your property becomes a hazard.
Winter Fixes
The best-case scenario for patching potholes in asphalt during the winter is using a cold mix asphalt. This is more of a temporary fix, but very common to do during the winter. Hot mix asphalt is only usable when ground temperatures are consistently above freezing and simply will not work correctly during the bitter cold. If you’ve found your asphalt has large potholes that are getting progressively worse as the winter goes on, Cassidy Paving can help. Asphalt potholes can make it more difficult and dangerous to drive and should be taken care of as soon as possible, even if that means patching until a more permanent fix can be done.
Planning for Spring
If we have to complete a cold-mix patch on your asphalt during the winter, our crew will discuss more permanent options for you come spring. At Cassidy Paving, we often use the winter as pre-planning time for customer repairs. We understand that your asphalt pavement goes through a lot during the colder temperatures. Making a plan to address all of the underlying paving issues once the ground warms up is the best practice for asphalt repair. Once we are able to use hot mix asphalt, the crew can come back out to repair the pothole(s) as needed.
Get a Free Estimate
Potholes during the winter don’t always have to wait. Cassidy Paving would be glad to come out and give you a free estimate and discuss your paving repair options. Give us a call today at 866-978-9788. We provide asphalt services across New England.