4 Ways to Avoid Damage to Your Parking Lot This Winter

Worried that your parking lot might take a hit this winter?

For many businesses throughout Ontario, heavy snowfall and frigid temperatures can accelerate wear and tear on their parking lots.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to help safeguard your asphalt against severe damage. Here are four different ways to take care of your parking lot during the dreaded winter weather.

1. Make asphalt repairs before the winter

One of the best ways to protect your parking lot against winter damage is to address asphalt maintenance and repairs before that first snowflake falls.

During the wintertime, low temperatures make asphalt maintenance and repairs very difficult. Because of this, any existing issues have the tendency to only get worse as winter progresses, ultimately leaving you with all sorts of costly repairs come springtime.

If you can already spot large cracks and potholes scattered across your lot, make a point of addressing them as soon as possible. Remember, the longer you wait, the worse the damage will be!

2. Remove snow promptly

Are you expecting quite a few snowstorms this winter? Given the amount of shoveling or plowing that will be needed, it might be tempting to sit back and let the snowmelt when the forecast shows high temperatures to follow.

However, even when snow does melt, that water has the potential to seep into the cracks in your asphalt and re-freeze once temperatures drop again. This will cause the water to expand, widening cracks and causing further damage to your parking lot.

While you might not enjoy shoveling or plowing, you’ll enjoy the extensive repairs to your lot (caused by neglect) far less.

3. Clear all debris from your lot

Particularly when you’re anticipating snowfall, be sure to remove all of the debris throughout your parking lot.

Leaving objects out during inclement weather can cause them to freeze to your asphalt or even be buried in snow. When it comes time to shovel or plow your parking lot, this can cause damage to not only your shovels and plows but also the asphalt itself.

Whenever there’s a snowy day on the calendar, make a point of scanning your entire parking lot for foreign objects and clearing them from your asphalt!

4. Avoid rock salt when possible

For a long time now, salt has been the go-to solution for de-icing all types of roadways, parking lots, and driveways. Unfortunately, today’s de-icing products are typically loaded with harmful chemicals that eat away at asphalt.

When possible, avoid rock salt entirely and simply make sure you shovel your parking lot thoroughly. But if you’re forced to de-ice your parking lot, try using a product that isn’t as harsh as rock salt—preferably, something that contains sodium chloride or calcium chloride.

This will help minimize the damage to your asphalt during the winter, extending the lifespan of your parking lot.

If you need help with your parking lot this season—whether it’s planning for new asphalt or performing repairs—Empire Paving is here to help. Contact our team today and we’ll even provide you with a free quote for your next project!