Preventing Winter Weather Conditions from Damaging the Driveway

Winter weather has the potential to wreak havoc on several aspects of your property, including your driveway. In the winter, the driveway can be exposed to freezing temperatures, hail, snow, sleet, and rain. In turn, driveways can develop potholes, cracks, fractures, and additional types of ugly damage by season’s end. Read further on how you can prevent winter elements from damaging the driveway.

Sealcoat the driveway

The best method of preventing driveway damage is by preparing ahead of time. One way to do this is by sealcoating the driveway. Sealcoating refers to the application of a sealing coat onto the driveway to safeguard against the elements, like oil, water, and the sunlight. Since sealcoating only can correctly cure when the temperature is at a minimum of 50-degrees, it often must be applied before winter arrives. If you did not seal coat the driveway this year, be certain that you book an appointment with Kissner Paving to sealcoat the driveway before winter arrives again.

Bring out the shovel

Shoveling the driveway not only makes it easier for you to travel in and out of the garage, it also helps protect your asphalt. When ice and snow melts onto the driveway, it can seep into the concrete and lead to water damage. In order to avoid this type of damage, shovel snow as soon as you can after it falls.

Immediately repair potholes

The longer potholes exist on the driveway, the more likely they’ll make themselves comfortable and start to spread out. This of course leads to even more damage. That’s why it’s important to repair potholes as soon as you can after you first notice them.

Be gentle

While the asphalt driveway might not look that fragile, it’s susceptible to damage if you use an overabundance of force when shoveling. Avoid chopping at the ice while shoveling. Doing this may accidentally chip the driveway or scrape protective layers off of it. A rubber or plastic-bladed shovel can be a bit more kind on your paved surface than a metal one. For more information on our residential seal coating services, contact our professionals at Kissner Paving in Chattanooga, TN at (706) 956-5296.