Learn how various weather situations distress asphalt.
Although asphalt is very strong and durable, it will still be affected by the elements including snow, rain, and sun. It’s important for property managers to understand how the different seasons and changing weather patterns can distress their parking lots in order to provide the proper pavement care and damage prevention. Continue reading to learn how various weather situations can distress your asphalt pavement.
Hot Weather
While the summer months typically only cause minimal damage to asphalt, extreme heat and sun can cause distress over time. For example, sun and penetrating UV rays can lead to asphalt fading and surface damage or cracking. Additionally, severely hot weather (such as the heatwave Maryland just faced last weekend,) can result in soft spots in your parking lot.
To protect your pavement during the summer, seal your pavement every two or three years to protect against sun damage from UV rays, reduce water permeation, and to increase the overall look of the asphalt.
Cold Weather
Winter, on the other hand, is the most damaging season for asphalt. The freeze-thaw cycle distresses and cracks pavement, and the asphalt has to deal with snow plows and salt/ice melt products that can cause a lot of wear and tear. The freeze-thaw cycle is the process of water seeping under cracks in pavement and freezing when the temperature drops. When water freezes, it expands, which causes the pavement to crack and create potholes. When the temperature rises, the ice melts, and the process starts again. Since it is common for winter temperatures to fluctuate from below freezing to above freezing every day, the freeze-thaw process can quickly result in major damage.
This is why it is so crucial to make sure every single pavement crack is filled and that your pavement is sealcoated before winter to help prevent these damages. By repairing asphalt cracks with hot, rubberized crack filler, property managers have a better chance of counteracting the effects of the freeze-thaw cycle on their parking lot. Also, to avoid damage from snowplows and ice melt products, set plow blades to ½ inch above the surface, and consider sand as a deicer instead of rock salt.
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, and Flickr.
Tags: asphalt, My Pavement Guy, pavement, PTG Enterprises, Weather
