With the start of winter comes the start of bad weather, and people who live in cold weather areas are all too familiar with the frustration of driving on a poorly-maintained driveway. However, you can take some preventative measures to better prepare your driveway for the winter.
First and foremost, if you have an unpaved driveway, consider paving it. Shoveling snow on a gravel driveway can disturb the rocks. If you live in a snowy area, an asphalt driveway may be a better long-term option than a paved driveway, as asphalt driveways hold up better throughout the winter. Cooper Paving Services offers asphalt paving services to people in and around Anne Arundel County, Maryland. They have almost 50 years of experience and have developed an efficient and affordable method of paving driveways.
If your driveway is already paved, it is important to have it sealed every few years. Seal coating the driveway makes it waterproof and fills in any cracks that have developed over time. Seal coating also prevents oil, gas, salt, and sun damage. Cooper Paving Services also offers seal coating services. They use either a spray or brush technique to seal asphalt driveways. This lengthens the driveway’s lifespan.
In addition to paving and sealing your driveway, removing snow and ice immediately after it accumulates will help prevent damage to your driveway. Sometimes snow that has frozen and thawed on your driveway can cause more damage than snow that is removed immediately after falling. Also, try to scrape up ice as thoroughly as possible soon after it appears on your driveway.
Keeping your driveway clean of chemicals and debris throughout the year can prevent damage during the winter as well. Debris that has collected on your driveway can lead to cracks in the asphalt and melted snow or ice can seep into these cracks. Removing debris before cracks can form will prevent damage to your driveway in the winter.
Contact Cooper Paving for all of your winter maintenance and driveway paving needs.