Cold winters like the ones we see in Massachusetts, bring plenty of snow and ice. Areas like sidewalks, parking lots, and driveways can become hazardous to drive and walk on. Asphalt pavement also goes through a lot of changes in the winter due to the freeze and thaw cycle that it sees. Regardless of the elements, Cassidy Paving wants to maximize the life of your pavement investment. Below, you will find the top ways to preserve the functionality of your asphalt in the winter.
How to Keep Pavement Alive in the Winter
Preventative Maintenance
The key to extending the life of your pavement regardless of the season, is staying on top of the preventative maintenance tasks that we suggest throughout the year. We know that regular maintenance may seem like an additional hassle for your time and budget, but it is really the best way to save money. The longer you wait to address issues in your pavement, the bigger problem it will become. During the winter, even small issues will turn into bigger issues because of the freeze/thaw cycle that pavement goes through. Preventative maintenance can include pothole filling, patching, crack sealing, and even sealcoating. Another way to maintain your pavement in the winter is regular snow removal. You can do this by shoveling, or if you are a commercial property manager, Cassidy Paving can provide snow removal services with a contract all winter.
More About Sealing and Patching
Cracks may seem harmless to the naked eye, but this is where water will permeate through the layers of blacktop and through to the subbase. When you have drainage issues on top of cracks, the water becomes trapped in the pavement. Winter temperatures cause that water to expand and contract which continues to shift your pavement over and over. The movement from this shift expands cracks, causes potholes, and even more deterioration throughout the winter. You often won’t even notice the extent of the damage done until the spring when everything thaws out. Those small cracks will now be large holes and sometimes even complete the separation of your blacktop and subbase. Sealing those cracks and doing a quick patch on any existing holes will help keep your asphalt in great condition until you can get to repaving in the warmer months.
Deicing
When it comes to melting the snow and ice that cause so many issues for your pavement, we highly recommend salt. Salt is a great solution for maintaining the level of ice and snow build up on your property. Not only is it the preferred method for Cassidy Paving to deice your pavement, it also gives you back some of the traction you lose on your pavement when it snows. The best course of action is to apply the salt prior to the big snowfalls so that we are keeping ahead of the ice layers.
Get Asphalt Pavement Help
Before we are weeks into the winter, give Cassidy Paving a call to get some preventative maintenance done. We want to help you maximize the lifespan of your parking lot or driveway. Give us a call today at 866-978-9788 for a free estimate.