It doesn’t matter if you have a parking lot, driveway, or road; any asphalt surface will take a lot of abuse during the colder months of the year. In fact, the frequent storms and cooler temperatures will impact even the best-constructed asphalt surfaces. If you want to ensure a high level of durability and safety to your asphalt, you need to make sure it is prepared and protected.
As warmer weather moves in, it’s a good time to look at your surfaces and see what can be done to improve them. Some tips to help can be found here.
Inspect the Asphalt to Assess Its Current Condition
Many people choose asphalt because of how resilient and durable it is. However, there are several ways it can fail. Because of this, you need to inspect your asphalt regularly to see if there are any issues.
If you are in an area that experiences frequent inclement or heavy weather, or if you see signs of a problem, it’s a good idea to call for service sooner than later.
Address Cracks Immediately
If there are surface cracks on your asphalt, it is an indication the subgrade under the surface has begun to fail. It’s also going to let water begin to penetrate the subgrade. In these situations, based on how severe the issue is, the issues like alligatoring, potholes, or other problems need to be repaired.
It’s No Longer Black
Does your asphalt look more gray than black? Does it have a pitted look, or are there deep cracks where water may start to infiltrate the subbase? If so, now is a good time to invest in filling the cracks and having sealcoating applied. These services will help to protect and preserve the asphalt from any further damage.
Look for Signs of Standing Water
Cases of standing water could be a sign of issues with the subsurface in part of your asphalt. This usually results from compaction failure in the subbase. There are several issues presented by standing water. For example, it can erode the surface and undermine the integrity of other parts of the asphalt if water is moved to other locations.
The Presence of Rainbows
Are there rainbow-colored or iridescent patches on the surface of your asphalt? If so, they should be cleaned right away. Fuel and oil spills may degrade your asphalt surface and cause imperfections. As time passes, these can become complete failures and reduce the lifespan and performance of your asphalt.
Ensuring Your Asphalt Is Ready for Warmer Weather
Just like cold weather can take a toll on asphalt surfaces, so can hot weather. Because of this, you must take steps to ensure there are no serious issues with your asphalt surfaces now and have them repaired if there are. This is going to protect the integrity of your surfaces and minimize the need for complete resurfacing. Keep this in mind and call the professionals when any services are needed.