How Harsh Winters Destroy Asphalt Pavement and What We Can Do to Help

If you live in the Greater Toronto Area, you have a front-row seat to the onslaught of harsh conditions that Mother Nature is capable of producing.

Our community sees quite the range of weather patterns each year, and businesses of all sizes experience broken down asphalt parking lots and driveways as a result.

Your business’s asphalt surface will have most likely been impacted by the inclement weather from this past winter, too. Here are three ways in which your asphalt pavement can be affected…

1. Low Temperatures

During the average winter day in the GTA, your asphalt surface has been impacted — with or without precipitation.

Frigid temperatures cause asphalt pavement to contract; and as it contracts, it weakens, and eventually cracks. Sometimes these cracks form under the surface and you can’t identify them. At other times, they are fully visible.

The bad news is that, once your pavement has a few cracks in it, it becomes even more susceptible to damage from snow and rain.

2. Snow

Canada is just about synonymous with snow. If you’re a long-time local, you know that it’s not unusual for our community to see snow as early as October and as late as May.

After snow pummels your business’s asphalt surface, it eventually melts and then seeps into cracks, where it may freeze all over again. This causes the asphalt to expand even further.

Not to mention, snow shovels, plows, and salt that come in contact with your asphalt surface can do a whole lot of damage all on their own.

3. Rain

Snow isn’t the only kind of precipitation we experience during the winter months. There are days when we’ll see rain instead of snow, and its impact on your asphalt pavement can be equally as damaging.

As rain finds its way into crevices, it can compromise the pavement’s structural integrity. Like melted snow, it may also freeze under the asphalt’s surface if the ground is cold enough, which also causes it to expand.

Here’s How We Can Help

Fortunately, you don’t have to wait for your asphalt to completely give way or settle for a full asphalt replacement.

At Empire Paving, we’re able to perform maintenance and restore your weather-beaten asphalt surface to peak form.

Depending on your location and the current life of your pavement, your asphalt surface could require different levels of attention. We have years of experience providing all of the following restorative services:

• Crack Repair: We’ll protect your asphalt pavement against water damage by repairing all areas that have major cracks and are susceptible to more damage
• Asphalt Patchwork: Missing large chunks of asphalt or have potholes? We’ll patch them in and restore your asphalt to an even surface all around.
• Parking Lot Marking: After a harsh winter, your parking lot will have faded lines and require new repairs. We will paint new lines and symbols in the areas we repair and throughout your parking lot wherever markings have been faded.
• Catch-Basin / Storm Drain Repair: Your parking lot drains will sink in overtime. We can repair them by excavating around them, lifting up the drain, and laying new asphalt around. We will also repair any areas where water may pool so that it will properly flow to the nearest drain and not sit and decay the surface.

Could your asphalt pavement use some professional maintenance to extend its life?
To find out more about how we can help or to book a free parking lot assessment, get in touch with us today! We’d be glad to discuss your asphalt parking lot needs with you!