How Snow Causes Potholes In Your Asphalt
- Posted In: Apron Repair
- Published On: February 25 2023
- Written By: Seal King
- 0 Comments
Many people anticipate winter to make driving to work more challenging, with potholes often appearing due to snowfall that causes major disruptions in our daily lives. Severe snowstorms not only leave roads messy, but they also expose asphalt pavement to cracks and potholes – leaving homeowners, businesses, and municipalities with few options for preventive maintenance from these cracks and potholes. But what can residential homeowners, associations, businesses, and municipalities do about it?
The Impact On Your Driveway From Freeze-Thaw Cycles
Asphalt pavements are particularly vulnerable to damage from freeze-thaw cycles. When freezing mornings meet warm afternoons, surface water can shift during freezing mornings and freezing at night; this causes subsurface expansion and contraction as water cools and freezes, eventually leading to cracking in the road surface and reduced structural soundness. Water that has seeped into cracks in asphalt may expand and shift its layer beneath when melting ice is applied by vehicles and trucks, thus damaging pavement beneath.
Salt’s Role On Your Driveway: Salt plays an integral role in keeping roads safe by preventing ice formation, maintaining safe driving conditions, and safeguarding people’s safety. Salt also helps prevent potholes from forming as it lowers the freezing point of water when applied. In cold weather situations where temperatures drop rapidly, salt could cause asphalt to experience an unnatural freeze-thaw cycle which could result in additional damage.
Snow plows that move snow AND pavement: Even though snowplows provide free shoveling of snow, they still do an outstanding job of keeping roads clean. Asphalt can lift off and crack due to friction between ground, trucks, and plows in weaker areas; though many places adjust plow heights to compensate for this difference, elevated roads may experience more damage than their flat counterparts due to altered road heights.
Keeping roads smooth: Simply turning off snowplows or salting them won’t do the trick when major storms hit. So how do we maintain roads when heavy snow is blowing on our tires? Protecting roadways and repairing damage helps guarantee they remain clear for commuter cars to drive on for years at a time. Local professionals specialize in asphalt repairs and sealants to make sure commuter cars remain smooth for many years to come.
Although potholes cannot be completely prevented in wintertime, they can be prevented from growing. Our residential and commercial sealcoating services guarantee asphalt roads remain safe throughout winter. With our high-quality coatings, you’ll keep road users and visitors safer on your streets this season. Get in touch with us today to get ahead of potholes with a superior sealcoat by Seal King!
