5 Tips for Preparing Your Residential Driveway or Commercial Parking Lot for Cold Weather

Cold weather is coming. We all dread it, but at least we humans get to go inside and drink hot cocoa while wearing fluffy sweaters. Your residential driveway or commercial parking lot, however—they have to bear the brunt of winter’s blasts of rain, ice, snow, snowplows and ice melting chemicals. It’s not easy being a driveway or a parking lot. But there are things you can do for your pavement before those last comfy days of fall wane and the cold weather sets in. Take these 5 tips for preparing your residential driveway or commercial parking lot for cold weather and by spring your pavement should still be in good shape and you can avoid costly winter-damage repairs!

1. Clean It Up

Use a blower or sweeper to clear any debris, leaves, gravel, plant material, etc. from the asphalt. Also make sure to have any chemical spills (oil, coolant, etc.) cleaned up promptly and properly. First of all, this will prevent damage to the surface of the asphalt from cars grinding debris into the pavement. Second, it will keep any chemicals from eating away at the asphalt’s protective sealcoating. Allowing damage like this to go unchecked allows water to seep into small cracks, which will eventually cause weakening, bigger cracks and eventually, hazardous and expensive-to-fix potholes. Regularly sweeping any debris from your driveway or parking lot also enables you to see and catch smaller cracks and problems earlier, before they become bigger and more problematic and expensive.

2. Fix Cracks and Potholes

This is essential for preparing your residential driveway or commercial parking lot for winter weather. If you have any cracks or potholes, it is essential to call Gorman Paving at (703) 257-3880 as soon as possible to have them patched before they can get any bigger. It’s also much better to have this done now, while the weather is still somewhat reasonable because it is more difficult (though not impossible) to do over the cold weather months.

3. Get It Sealcoated

There’s still time! Having your parking lot or driveway regularly sealcoated (every 1-3 years depending on how much traffic and wear your pavement gets) is a great way to prevent even small cracks from becoming major muffler-eating potholes. And it helps you get the most out of your driveway or parking lot investment because it helps the pavement last longer! The sealcoating solution is a mixture of water, coal tar or asphalt mixed with some finely-ground minerals and clay that is applied to an older layer of asphalt. The water evaporates out of the mixture leaving behind a black, shiny, water-resistant surface that prevents runoff from seeping into small cracks to cause damage. The blackness of the sealcoating is also great for boosting your pavement’s ability to retain heat in the winter, which can slow the accumulation of snow and ice.

4. Check The Drainage System

Area areas of standing water or pooling in your driveway or parking lot are serious problems that need immediate attention. This means that for some reason your storm drains or manholes are not allowing the water to get off of your pavement fast enough. Sure, it’s cute to watch the birds frolic in these impromptu bird baths, but the water will find its way into small cracks which, over the relentless freeze-thaw cycles of winter, can turn into alligator cracking and then potholes. Call us to check and make sure all the drains are working properly so that water can vacate the pavement as quickly as possible.

5. Do Not Exceed Pavement Load Limits

Parking heavy equipment on asphalt that was not built for it is a sure way to create water-loving indentations, cracks and ponds on your driveway or parking lot. Be sure to know the load limit of your pavement and take precautions not to allow extremely heavy vehicles or equipment to park for long periods on the pavement. If a semi needs to access your property, or if you have a heavy equipment parking need, call us at (703) 257-3880 for advice on handling your particular situation.

By taking these proactive steps to maintain and prepare your residential driveway or commercial parking lot for cold weather, you can protect your paving investment from unnecessary winter damage and save yourself and your guests or clients from a lot of unnecessary hassle and expense.

Contact Gorman Paving today for winter preparation services at (703) 257-3880.

Best Wishes,
Pat

Patrick Gorman
Gorman Paving, Inc.

www.gormanpaving.com

(703) 257-3880