How To Prepare Your Asphalt Driveway For Winter

As winter approaches, you do your best to prepare your home for the weather. While caught up in trying to make your home safe and prepared for the harsh weather, it is easy to overlook your driveway in the process. Most people do not even overlook it, they simply don't know that it needs to be prepared for winter. Continue reading to learn what you can do to make sure your driveway is safe and intact throughout winter.

Before Winter Arrives

You should fill any cracks and holes in your driveway regularly, but this becomes particularly important in the winter when snow and ice can accumulate and make those cracks or holes grow. When the snow and ice melts, the water can penetrate the underlayment of the driveway and make it unstable.

Keep your driveway clean and clear of any debris so that you can see any cracks or holes immediately when they occur. You can use DIY crack-fill materials and fill the cracks and holes as they occur, or you can hire a professional to be sure the job is done right and will last.

You should also hire a professional to sealcoat your pavement each year so that it has the best protection to weather the storm.

During Winter

Watch out for standing water on your driveway. If you see puddles, there are small holes in your driveway that can easily become large potholes. The best thing to do in this case is have a professional come patch your driveway to fill the holes and make it all level again. You may have to have a drain installed if your driveway isn't allowing water to drain as it should.

Just as standing water can create problems, so can snow and ice. Snow and ice both contribute an excess of water to your driveway and could compromise the structure if it penetrates the layer under the asphalt. Additionally, the weight of the snow adds an additional load on your driveway that it may not be able to support without having trouble. Regularly clear your driveway by shoveling the snow so it won't cause any damage.

As you can see, your driveway is not maintenance free throughout the year. Winter is an especially important time to make sure you take good care of your driveway because of the extreme temperatures and snow accumulation. These simple tips will help your driveway survive the winter. Contact a paving company like Curtis Paving for more information.