Do you have an asphalt driveway or parking lot? If so, it is important to understand how damage can occur and what you can do to prevent it. Cassidy Paving wants to work with you to identify common causes of asphalt damage and help you set up a plan to circumvent those from happening. Read on to find out what types of damage can affect your pavement and what we can do to keep damages from happening.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Asphalt Damage?
Standing Water
Possibly the most common and damaging adversary of asphalt is standing water. Water itself is not detrimental, but when it starts to pool for long periods of time, there is a reason for concern. When the water on the surface begins to permeate the top layer of your asphalt, it causes issues, such as softening, deterioration, cracking, and potholes. Especially during the harsh Massachusetts winter months, you do not want to get frozen water beneath your asphalt. The best thing to do to avoid standing water is to maintain your sealcoat so that water cannot get through in the first place.
Damage from Vehicles
Although asphalt pavement is meant to take a beating, vehicles can cause a wide array of issues over time. One of these concerns is overloading. Asphalt is meant to withstand the normal erosion of passenger vehicles over time, but consistent excessively heavy loads will cause cracking, especially on the sides of the pavement. Vehicles can leak chemicals that break down the bonds of the asphalt material. Diesel fuel can especially be damaging to asphalt even in your driveway. Our team suggests that you take care of any leaking from your vehicle as soon as possible so that your pavement won’t be hurt in the process.
Not Keeping Up Maintenance
The most avoidable issues are the damages caused by the lack of upkeep on your asphalt. This is not a set it and forget it type of material. Although asphalt pavement is extremely durable, over time there will be a need for sealcoat reapplication and the fixing of minor damage before it becomes major. Your sealcoating should be reapplied every 1 to 3 years depending on certain factors that are determined by an inspection from Cassidy Paving. The way to avoid major damage to your asphalt, is to keep your contractor on speed dial for anything that does not appear quite right. If you are trying to evade costly service by waiting, you are only making it worse for your budget in the long run. Small repairs over time are much more cost-friendly than a major repair or replacement down the road.
Make a Plan
If you are the owner of asphalt pavement in any capacity, you should have a plan in place for these common causes of damage. Cassidy Paving has a combined 108 years of experience in all types of application and maintenance, and we are here to serve customers across Massachusetts. Don’t be a victim of these or other causes of asphalt damage. Give us a call today at 866-978-9788 for a free estimate.