Though most of us are still recovering from 2020, 2021 is already approaching its end. With a brand new year right around the corner, now’s a great time to think of ways to protect and restore your asphalt surfaces. You’ll have to wait until spring to tackle new paving projects, but there’s still plenty you can do to care for your asphalt around this time, as well as get ready for future projects in 2022. Here are some ways to plan asphalt maintenance going into the new year.
How to Plan Asphalt Maintenance for the New Year
Keep Up with the Snow and Ice
The more you can do to preserve your asphalt during the worst of winter, the better time you’ll have tackling repairs and re-paving projects next year. As we’ve explained in previous blogs, snow and ice can take a major toll on your asphalt, especially if your surfaces are already littered with cracks and potholes. To gear up for the new year, do your best to prevent snow from building up on your asphalt. If you’ve got a lot of surface area to cover, hire snow clearing services to perform regular and reliable shoveling, blowing, plowing, and/or de-icing.
Prioritize Your Asphalt’s Needs
The range of asphalt services that can be performed during the dead of winter are somewhat limited (namely hot-mix projects), but certain solutions are viable despite the cold conditions (i.e., cold patch asphalt crack repair). Regardless, the end of the year is as good a time as any to take stock of your asphalt’s condition so you can figure out what you might need to do in the near future. You can gather a good deal of information by simply examining your parking lot or driveway on your own, but a professional inspection will provide a more accurate and comprehensive assessment of your asphalt’s needs. Once you have a sense of your asphalt’s condition, you can begin creating a list of key services and prioritizing them in terms of importance, cost, viability (i.e., what can be done during winter vs. what must wait until spring), and so on.
Compare Local Asphalt Paving Contractors
As you’re waiting for the warmer weather to arrive to complete any hot-mix asphalt repair and paving projects, you might as well get a head start by comparing local contractors and quotes. After all, once spring arrives, most asphalt contractors will have their books filled, making it that much harder to schedule services with a reliable and affordable provider. Do yourself a favor and spend the off-season looking for the right fit and locking in dates.
Renew Your Commitment to Asphalt Maintenance
It’s never too early to set your intentions for the new year. And if you didn’t live up to your asphalt-related resolutions last year (assuming you had them in the first place), 2022 is offering you a brand new chance to refresh your parking lot or driveway. By keeping your asphalt clear of snow and ice, conducting a thorough end-of-year inspection, and taking the time to find the best contractors in your area, you can hit the ground running this new year. If you live in New England, let Cassidy Paving be your go-to asphalt maintenance, repair, and paving provider.
Call us today at 866-978-9788 for a free estimate on your next asphalt project.