The wintertime brings colder weather and more elements to consider, including rain, snow and/or ice, depending on the area in which you live. With this in mind, you should make plans to patch your driveway before winter arrives. Once the weather gets colder and worse, it becomes more difficult for you to deal with any damage that occurs.
Here are just a few of the most important reasons to repair asphalt cracks before winter in Santa Rosa, CA.
Faster melting snow and ice
One of the side effects of patching and repaving is that the area you treat will have a darker color. Darker colors absorb more sunlight and heat, which you will know well if you’ve ever worn a black shirt or touched a blacktop on a hot summer day. The darker pavement will absorb more of the sun’s energy, which means any snow or ice that builds up on top of it will melt away faster. This can make it easier for you to keep your driveway clear!
While this isn’t as big of an issue here in Santa Rosa, where snow is a rarity, it is something to consider if you have a vacation home in the mountains or if you live in other areas.
Moisture can cause or enlarge potholes
By late winter or early spring, it’s common to see many more cracks and potholes forming in roads and driveways. This is due to the freezing and thawing cycles that occur over the winter months. You’re more likely to see precipitation in the fall and winter, and water from rain or melting ice will seep through cracks in the pavement and get down to the stone subbase. Over time, this can cause erosion underneath the surface of the pavement.
If that water freezes and then thaws, the resulting expansion and contraction of the area underneath the pavement will damage the structural integrity of the pavement itself, causing or worsening cracks or potholes.
This is why it’s so important to repair asphalt cracks before winter—you don’t want to leave any openings for moisture to get underneath the pavement and cause damage when the cold weather arrives.
Lack of availability in winter
Another practical reason to get your asphalt repairs and patches done before winter arrives is that you might find it difficult to get asphalt for DIY projects or find companies that take on this kind of work during the winter months. New asphalt is applied hot and must be compacted before it cools. The cooler the temperatures get, the more difficult it is to accomplish this process.
So, while you might be able to find some assistance during the winter months, it will be a little tougher to do so, and you may end up having to pay more for the work as a result. Now’s the time to get the job done.
For more information about how to patch your driveway before winter in Santa Rosa, CA, contact the team at Sikes Asphalt Group Inc. today.
