Harsh seasons are almost as unwanted by asphalt pavements as they are for people. Also, most damage to these durable structures comes in harsh seasons. Some precautionary steps can ensure much longer-lasting asphalt pavements. A good asphalt paving contractor should tell you useful tips to last your pavements longer. Also, depending on where you live, different tips will be more useful.
The worst time for an asphalt surface is melting snow. If it snows a lot in your area, that outdoor driveway will always be at risk. What happens is all those leaves, debris, and foreign materials can clog up the water runoffs. With this, all that melting snow water will enter deeper adhesive layers of your driveway or parking lot. From there, the integrity of the surface gets reduced. Here’s what you can do:
1: Cracks and Pothole Filling Are Necessary
Although asphalt pavements are very durable and hardy, they also get cracked up with regular use. Severe weather conditions alone are all it needs to cause cracks and potholes in driveways or parking lots. Depending on the type and amount of traffic your pavement gets, these can appear quicker.
Usually, as the pavement ages past 4-5 years, it may start to develop cracks, potholes, or both. Quite often, the ground underneath condition has to do a lot with crack formation. Also, potholes left unattended can also contribute to patterned or alien crack buildup.
So, if there are cracks or potholes in your driveway or parking lot, they can hold on to snow and other foreign materials for longer. They will also make way for water to get into adhesive layers and take them apart. Make sure to get proper cracks or potholes filled before winter starts.
2: Clear the Asphalt Pavement of Lose Debris
Lose debris are absolutely damaging. What happens is as vehicles drive on chunks of materials, they scrap more of the surface off. Also, when your driveway or parking lot gets snowed on and you shovel it off, that debris is likely to cause more damage.
Also, at times, loose debris can be brought onto your paved surface from other sources. It is important to clear it all off before it starts snowing. Later on, it will cause trouble on the driveway for the paved surface and also possibly for vehicle tires on it.
The best way to do this is before getting snow. Go out there and get a litter picker. Pick off all loose debris and foreign materials from the surface. A pressure washer is a good solution for this as well. As long as you make sure to take everything off that doesn’t belong there.
3: Remove Pooling Water and Unclog Water Runoffs
Pooling water and melting snow are both absolutely destructive to the integrity of even the toughest paved surfaces. What they do is get to the underlying adhesive layers. From there, they have a case to take the adhesive layer apart rather quickly.
Before the snow goes away, your might have potholes developing or loose debris on your paved surface. A good driveway contractorwill always settle all parts of the surface in a balanced way. They will also manage water runoffs well and give the surface a slope towards these waters exit points.
Also, it is important to check your water runoff points if they are blocked or clogged. Rainwater or snow can capture falling leaves, plastics, and whatnot taking it right into the water runoff areas. If this is the case, unclog these and let the water go away without settling into the deeper adhesive layers.
4: Managing Loads on Your Asphalt Pavement
While managing loads might not seem like a big deal, it absolutely is. Commercial parking lots have a lot going on over them. You have rubbish bins on them that will be collected by heavy vehicles. These rubbish bins are also the case for domestic driveways as well.
So, what you can do is move these trash areas right near the collection points or road connections. This way, these heavy trash collection vehicles will never set tires on your pavement. Also, there are other ways of managing loads on your driveway or parking lot as well.
If you can try to park heavy vehicles at different spots often, it is a good practice. Parking heavy vehicles in the same spot can cause the surface to get pressed down. Stop this by managing loads on your driveway or parking lot as much as possible.
5: Sealcoating Before the Winter Season Starts
A fresh sealcoat is vital for many reasons. For starters, it will bring back that good-as-new look and feel for your pavement. That elegant dark look is why many homeowners and commercial property owners go for asphalt pavements in the first place.
A sealcoat is an inexpensive, quick, and very good option. The other benefit you get is quicker melting of snow with a new sealcoat. A good driveway paving contractor will make sure the new sealcoat covers all areas and corners on your surface.
Additionally, a sealcoat binds up everything on the top surface. The problem of loose debris doesn’t hinder after a fresh sealcoat. Also, this is what helps your pavement to last up to three decades when done right as well. It is the best winter preparation tip for your surface to make it last longer.