Observing the Build

Asphalt maintenance and repairs are essential parts of your landscaping care to protect your pavement all year long. Winter weather can be some of the harshest, especially in a northern climate, and you should take specific steps before the temperatures fall to protect your asphalt. Here are some tips to use with your asphalt pavement to keep it protected through the harsh winter weather in your area.

Perform Fall Maintenance

Fall is a good time to clean up your yard of leaves and other dying vegetation to prepare it for snow and ice. Your pavement is no different in that you should clean it up of any leaves and debris that may remain in place once the weather freezes. Also look out for any serious cracking, such as pattern cracking and sunken spots over the surface. These areas are prime areas for further damage over the winter when snowmelt can refreeze within the base of the crack and make them worse. 

Potholes in your pavement should be repaired immediately with a professional patch filler and to remove the old debris from the area. If there are any foundation problems that have caused the pothole, cracking, or sunken spots, your asphalt professional should repair them to avoid further deterioration. Simply patching over a sunken spot will only cause the problem to return later and with worse damage. 

Handle Winter Weather 

You can prepare your asphalt for snowfall by using the right snow removal and de-icing methods. Prior to a heavy snowfall, apply a layer of ice melt to help keep the pavement from freezing. Sodium chloride is a good option to use on your asphalt because it does not cause any corrosion from its chemical make-up and it will keep ice from forming as low as 15 degrees F.

You can also apply a layer of gritty sand to your pavement to help additionally with traction and without the use of any other chemical deicers. Sand is helpful when the temperature falls below your ice melt's freeze threshold. Be careful you don't apply magnesium chloride or potassium chloride, as they can cause corrosion to the surface of your asphalt.

Be careful also when you scrape snow and ice from your asphalt. Because asphalt is a bumpy surface, it can catch on the metal blade of a snow plough or snow shovel. Be sure you only use acrylic snow removal blades and shovels to protect your pavement's surface structure. For more help, reach out to a company like Phend & Brown that provides asphalt paving.