Learn why it’s important to crack fill before winter to prevent freeze/thaw damage.
Winter is just around the corner, and it’s important to start preparing your parking lot and pavement to prevent freeze/thaw damage. If the asphalt has any cracks or potholes, now is the time to crack fill the pavement before the temperature gets too cold. Learn more about freeze/thaw cycles and why it’s crucial to crack fill your parking lot before winter arrives.
Freeze-Thaw Cycles
During the spring, summer, and fall, asphalt is flexible, which helps prevent cracks from forming. However, when the temperature gets too cold and snow begins to fall, the asphalt will become harder and more brittle. The extreme cold temperatures of winter can cause parking lots to crack, and freeze-thaw cycles will result in more damage.
A freeze/thaw cycle is when the temperature changes from above freezing to below freezing, and then back above 32 degrees Fahrenheit again. This is common during the winter season, especially in Maryland and surrounding states where freezing weather is quite common.
How Freeze-Thaw Cycles Affect Pavement
When the temperature is above freezing, rain and snow can seep into any small cracks in the pavement. However, once the temperature drops below freezing, that water within the cracks will start to freeze and expand, which in turn causes the crack to grow even more. Water expands about 10% when it freezes and can cause a lot of damage to parking lots from the inside out. When the weather reaches above freezing temperatures, the ice is melted once again and moves deeper into the cracks, and continues to freeze and expand each time the temperature drops below 32 degrees.
Protecting Pavement
Freeze-thaw cycles can cause a lot of unnecessary damage to your pavement, and the best way to protect your parking lot is by crack filling areas every 2-3 years. Crack sealing prevents water from entering any cracks during freeze-thaw cycles to keep your parking lot smooth during the winter season. Call PTG today for our hot pour crack fill services to keep your pavement protected until spring!
Maintenance You Can Trust from PTG Enterprises
If you want to protect your pavement and ensure it has a long lifespan, choose PTG Enterprises for your community sidewalks, parking lots and pavement maintenance needs. We offer commercial concrete, asphalt, masonry, paving, consultation, and survey report services throughout Baltimore, Harford, Anne Arundel, Howard, and P.G. Counties. If you are interested in hearing how we can help you, contact us online or give us a call at (410) 636-8777. For more tips and tricks, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Google+, and Flickr.
Tags: crack fill, Crack filling, My Pavement Guy, PTG Enterprises
