Due to asphalt being a naturally porous material, winter can be especially hard on an asphalt driveway. Cassidy Paving wants to help you understand how best to care for your home’s driveway and decrease liability with future cracks and potholes despite the bitterly cold winters we experience in Massachusetts. If your home is a new construction, your driveway may be even more susceptible to the freezing temperatures if it has not had time for sealcoating and curing. With the proper care, your asphalt will maintain its structure and condition until it is able to thaw out in the spring. Here are the top care tips from our experts for your residential asphalt driveway.
How to Care for Your Residential Driveway
Clean Debris
The first step in winterizing your home’s driveway is to clean it. Your asphalt will accumulate lots of dirt, grime, and other debris during its use. This step is important because clearing debris can offer a lot of satisfactory outcomes for your driveway. By even sweeping your asphalt, you will be able to see if there are cracks and holes that may have otherwise been covered. Clearing out leaves, sticks, and other rubble will make the snow removal process easier once the time comes and your ability to fill cracks and holes more efficient. Another reason to clear debris is that it can freeze to your driveway and cause damage by adding extra weight to vulnerable asphalt.
Make Early Repairs
Once you’ve cleaned your asphalt and have a good idea of what’s underneath, you may have a need for a certified paving contractor. If you see holes, cracks, pooling water, or anything else that concerns you about your driveway the best thing you can do is call Cassidy Paving immediately. The best way to care for your driveway is to make sure you have it in the best shape possible before winter comes. Freezing temperatures only make small problems worse. Having your repairs completed far ahead of the first snowstorm will save you time and money. Not only will your wallet thank you, but the family vehicles will have an easier time navigating through the ice when it has a solid foundation to drive on.
Remove Snow and Ice
Regardless of their best efforts, people throughout Massachusetts and New England understand that a home’s driveway will need to at the very least be shoveled. There are also options for snow blowing and deicers in these situations, but your best friend will be a plastic edged shovel. Metal shovels are more likely to cause damage to your asphalt and should be avoided. You can also consider using a deicer such as salt to help keep the freezing to a minimum. However, this is only effective in 15-degree and higher temperatures and is not recommended if you have concrete near your asphalt driveway.
Be Vigilant
Our experts cannot stress enough that the best thing for your asphalt in winter is a watchful eye. If you begin to notice changes in your driveway throughout the season such as collapsing areas or bad drainage, you may have a big problem on your hands. Remove future issues and liabilities as soon as possible by keeping a watchful eye. If you notice something, it never hurts to have our crew come out to inspect it. Give us a call at 866-978-9788 for a thorough evaluation before, during, and after the winter season.