As winter approaches, it is essential to plan for the winter season. Pavement maintenance is one of the most important considerations that you should take into account. Many different techniques can be used to prepare your commercial parking lot for winter weather conditions. This blog post will discuss what to consider when developing your pavement maintenance plan.
1) Remove All Debris from Your Pavement’s Surface
It’s important to remove all debris from your pavement’s surface. Although winter has its own set of challenges that need attention when preparing for the snow and ice season ahead, you can avoid many problems by following this simple step. If large amounts of material are left on top of your asphalt during winter storms, they will bond together and damage your pavement. When winter is over, you will need to do an asphalt restoration project at a high cost. So, remove all debris from your pavement’s surface that might end up damaging your pavement during the winter season.
2) Fix Cracks Immediately
It is advisable to examine your asphalt surface to identify any cracks in the pavement, which may have developed due to stress from traffic and other factors. Fix these immediately before winter sets in so that they won’t be a problem during colder months when water seeps into them, causing more harm.
3) Sealcoat Your Pavement
During the winter months, your asphalt pavement will naturally start to cool down and contract. However, sealing the surface of your road before winter is important because it helps protect both the integrity of the pavement and prevent any moisture from seeping into cracks or joints in between layers. You must ensure that the temperature is at least 50 degrees or higher on the day of the sealcoating. If the temperature drops below this, you should wait until the temperature is right.
4) Check if Water is Pooling
As winter approaches, you should monitor the conditions of your asphalt pavement. You want to ensure that there isn’t excess water pooling on top that will freeze and cause cracking when the temperature drops below freezing again. Furthermore, pooling water is an indication that there is a problem with the drainage in your asphalt surface, which can be a major problem and lead to expensive damage.
5) Repair Potholes
Potholes not only make an asphalt surface look ugly, but they can also damage cars and injure pedestrians. Look for potholes and fix them immediately, so you don’t have to deal with bigger, more costly repairs later. Repairs will cost you less than resurfacing and reconstructing the entire driveway or parking lot.
When deciding on an asphalt pavement maintenance plan for the winter season, it’s important to consider all the variables. Asphalt is a durable material that can withstand even extreme conditions like snow and ice – but only if you have maintained it throughout the year. At Prime Asphalt in Waco, TX, our experts are ready to help you with your asphalt paving needs. We offer free estimates on asphalt repairs, parking lot maintenance, road maintenance, and more, so don’t hesitate to contact us today!