Winter in New Jersey is rarely one long freeze. It is a back-and-forth of cold nights, mild afternoons, coastal storms and slush that refreezes after dark. That cycle is what wears asphalt down. Water gets into small openings, freezes, expands, thaws and repeats the process dozens of times before March.
You cannot control the weather, but a few hours of work in October or November can make a real difference in how your driveway looks after the snow melts. Here are five tips we give homeowners across Monmouth, northern Ocean and southern Middlesex counties.
1. Clear Leaves and Debris Off the Surface
Wet leaves sitting on asphalt for weeks hold moisture against the surface and can stain it. Piles along the edges also trap water right where the driveway is weakest. Blow or sweep the driveway clean after the last big leaf drop, and pay attention to the edges and the apron near the street, where storm drains back up and debris collects.
A clean surface also makes it easier to see problems before snow covers them up.
2. Walk the Driveway and Note Every Weak Spot
Take ten minutes on a dry afternoon and look closely. You are looking for:
- Holes or areas where the surface has broken apart
- Crumbling or cracked edges, especially along the lawn
- Spots that hold puddles a day after rain
- Sections that feel soft or have started to sink
Broken areas and holes are open doors for water. Once winter starts, every freeze makes them bigger. If you find damage that goes deeper than the surface, fall is the time to have it looked at, while asphalt plants are still running and temperatures are warm enough for paving. Waiting until spring usually means a larger failed area and a bigger job.
3. Make Sure Water Has Somewhere to Go
Drainage is the most important winter defense, and it is often overlooked. Check that gutters are clear and downspouts point away from the driveway, or are extended so they empty onto the lawn instead of the pavement. Look at where snow from the roof and from shoveling will melt and run. If meltwater flows across the driveway and pools at the garage or the street, that is where you will see damage first.
Low spots and poor pitch are hard to fix with maintenance alone. If water always sits in the same place, it may be a sign the base or grade needs attention when the driveway is eventually redone.
4. Plan How You Will Remove Snow and Ice
The tools you use matter. Metal shovel blades and sharp ice choppers can gouge the surface, catch edges and break off chunks of weak asphalt. A plastic shovel or one with a rubber edge is gentler. If you hire someone to clear the driveway, ask them to keep the blade raised slightly and to be careful at the edges.
For ice, a calcium chloride melt is generally easier on asphalt than heavy use of rock salt, but use any product sparingly and sweep up the leftovers once the ice is gone. Also think about where you pile snow. Banks stacked on the driveway’s edge melt slowly and keep that strip wet for weeks.
5. Support the Edges
Asphalt edges are the most vulnerable part of a driveway because they have no pavement holding them in from the side. When cars ride off the edge, or when soil washes away from beside it, the edge cracks and breaks off. Before winter, fill in any low soil along the sides with topsoil and tamp it down so the edge is supported. Remind visitors and delivery drivers to stay on the pavement where possible.
Know When Maintenance Is Not Enough
These tips help a sound driveway stay sound. They will not rescue one whose base has failed. If your driveway has widespread cracking, sinking areas or puddles that never seem to drain, a new installation built on a properly graded and compacted base will serve you better than another season of nursing it along. Learn more about our asphalt driveway paving process, and if you are curious about what actually happens to pavement in the cold, read how the winter season affects your asphalt driveway. For parking lots and larger surfaces, our post on prepping asphalt pavement for the coming winter goes further.
If you would like someone to look things over before the first storm, we offer free estimates.
Need this done right?
Dan The Paver handles asphalt driveway paving across Monmouth, Ocean (Toms River and north) and southern Middlesex counties. Free on-site estimates.