Seasons change – how to maintain your asphalt when they do

Everyone has their favorite time of year. Some like the cold and snow of winter, the flowers of the spring, the heat of the summer or the colors and crisp breeze of autumn. No matter which season is your favorite, when you’re in the paving business you see these seasons as different issues that need to be dealt with to maintain your driveway, road or parking lot. 

Let’s Start With Winter:

Depending on your climate winter can mean different things but for a lot of people it means snow and ice. With snow and ice comes a variety of methods to remove that snow and ice. If you’re from a snowy climate you are familiar with the various types of shovels. If your shovel has a metal edge it may make removing snow and ice easier but it can also damage your surfaces so make sure you use these types of shovels with caution. The same is true for snowplows and snow blowers, do not be surprised if you see damage after using these types of machines.

When salting or sanding try to use products that don’t contain ammonium nitrates and ammonium sulphates as these can damage your driveway, walkway or other asphalt or concrete surface. Also, if you have pets these types of products can be harmful to their feet so you may want to consider pet-safe ice melter if needed.

On To Spring:

Now that winter is over and the warmer, rainy weather is on its way you may be noticing the damaging effects of maintaining your home during winter.

If you see cracks you may need to consider applying a sealer when the weather allows. This will help to ensure your driveway or parking lot will last longer and will not need to replaced sooner than later.

While inspecting your surfaces remove rocks and stones that might be left over from snow removal and also check for puddles. If you are noticing puddles or pooling of water in your driveway you might see the beginning of larger issues with your substrate so you will want to make sure you keep up on your sealing to keep these issues from getting worse.

Dealing With The Heat Of Summer:

Summer is the best month if you have a paved surfaces. For the main part if you have done all your maintenance in other months you shouldn’t have to do a lot in summer. Keep an eye out for plants or weeds that can damage your asphalt or concrete surfaces over time. While looking for plants or weeds if you see staining from your vehicle or other items be sure to clean those up, typically a pressure washer will do the trick just proceed with caution.

It’s Time For Fall:

Fall will likely be your last chance for a while to take care of any cracks that you see and make sure you seal them properly. If you have a lot of leaves on your property make sure you remove that quickly as they can damage and stain your driveway or walkway. Keep an eye out for branches that can fall and damage your surfaces as well. Otherwise enjoy the little bit of warm weather you have left before the snow starts again.