New England winters often enter early and linger a long while. The first frost of the season will be here before you know it, and when it happens, your asphalt surfaces can suffer the consequences. Without proper maintenance, your driveway or parking lot might fall into serious disrepair during the season, forcing you to invest in costly repairs and repaving projects down the road. Here’s what frozen ground and other winter conditions mean for your asphalt maintenance plan.
How to Maintain Frozen Asphalt
Repairs Are Possible but More Difficult to Perform
As a general rule, it’s a good idea to take care of asphalt repairs such as asphalt crack repair before things get too cold. While many minor repairs can be done during winter, the window of time these tasks can be easily accomplished is greatly diminished during this season, as consistently cold temperatures and regular moisture can get in the way. In other words, your asphalt maintenance plan during winter will rely less on surface-level repairs and more on efforts to keep snow and ice at bay, which we’ll discuss later on.
Asphalt Paving Will Have to Wait
Driveway or parking lot paving, however, cannot be accomplished during winter, as hot-mix asphalt requires ground temperatures between 70 and 150 degrees Fahrenheit for proper application and curing. So, if your asphalt surfaces require repaving, you’ll have to wait until springtime to hire asphalt paving contractors. Fortunately, asphalt experts can still help you maintain your driveway or parking lot in other ways during winter.
Removing Snow and Ice Is Paramount
While there’s no way to control outdoor temperatures or magically unfreeze the ground, you’re not entirely helpless when it comes to winter asphalt maintenance. On the contrary, keeping snow and ice off your asphalt is one of the most important things you can do if you wish to minimize the negative effects of the cold season. If you live in a relatively moderate region and only have to deal with a small driveway or parking lot, you may be able to clear snow on your own using a shovel or snow blower. Larger properties are better off partnering with snow clearing services to reliably and efficiently remove snow after a serious storm. You or your snow clearing specialists should also lay down de-icing agents to prevent freezing — just make sure the solutions you use don’t corrode asphalt surfaces.
Proper Drainage Is Key in Protecting Your Asphalt Surfaces
If your parking lot’s drainage systems are damaged or otherwise backed up, winter’s wrath will be all the more damaging. When moisture from melted snow builds up beneath your asphalt surfaces, it can freeze and exacerbate cracks (along with other issues). Your parking lot’s drains are meant to prevent these outcomes. If you’re concerned about your drainage systems, professional asphalt services can examine, repair, and/or replace them to give your asphalt a fighting chance during winter.
Don’t Freeze — Plan Your Asphalt Maintenance Strategy Now
Winter is often the most challenging season for asphalt maintenance, but it’s also the most important. If you’re not prepared, your parking lot or driveway can suffer unnecessary damage during the cold season, setting you up for multiple headaches in the spring. If you’d rather avoid these outcomes, the experts at Cassidy Paving are here to help with our asphalt repair, maintenance, and installation services.
Call us today at 866-978-9788 for a free estimate on your next asphalt project.
