Winter: ‘tis the season when potholes and cracks magically appear. What is it about winter that wreaks havoc on asphalt? You know you perform asphalt maintenance for winter, as you’ve been told a million times it’s necessary, but do you know why?
Winter asphalt maintenance helps prevent potholes from vehicle traffic.
Let’s take a look as to why winter destroys asphalt, and what you can do to prevent it.
Winter: Asphalt’s Enemy
Winter can get cold. Very cold. Existing cracks cause the most problems in this situation. Snow and ice will eventually melt, and it melts into those cracks. Then, overnight or during other very cold times, it refreezes, causing the asphalt to expand. This can cause deepened cracks on its own, but add the pressure of vehicles driving over it, and the damage only gets worse. So, don’t neglect your winter asphalt maintenance, leaving your cracks open for winter to terrorize your asphalt. Do you want potholes? Because that’s how you get potholes.
How do I Prevent Potholes?
- Before Winter– Before the ice and snow hits, make sure your asphalt is seal coated, or your seal coating is up to date. This is an important step of winter asphalt maintenance. It prevents moisture from entering existing cracks, so new damage is prevented.
- Patching– If you wait until winter to take care of your existing cracks and holes, there are still asphalt maintenance solutions. You can do cold patching, which isn’t as durable or long lasting as normal patching. However, it is a good temporary solution to prevent further damage. When the weather warms up, you can then have the patches and cracks normally filled.
- Filling– If all else fails, make sure any existing cracks are filled. This will go a long way in preventing more costly damage during the winter.
Call PTG Enterprises For Your Winter Patching Needs
PTG Enterprises has been in the asphalt paving, concrete, and masonry business for more than a decade. We have seen it all before and we know the telltale warning signs of asphalt and pavement failure. And as a member of the Community Association Institute (CAI), National Facilities Management and Technology (NFMT), and Maryland Multi-Housing Association (MMHA) we are well-positioned to help you make the right financial decisions for your property or community association.
PTG stands out as an industry leader due to our methodology of pavement management planning: a systematic, long-term approach to managing and extending the life of your pavement. We will work with you to develop a comprehensive strategy to extend and maximize the lifespan of your asphalt and concrete surfaces.
If you have any questions about winter asphalt maintenance, please contact PTG Enterprises today by calling 410-636-8777, or click here today! You can also check us out on Facebookand Twitter.
Tags: Asphalt Maintenance, Winter
