Ways to Prep Your Asphalt Pavement for the Coming Winter

New Jersey winters do not go easy on pavement. Between January cold snaps, wet nor’easters and the constant swing above and below freezing, asphalt gets put through a lot. The good news is that a little attention in October and November goes a long way. Most winter damage starts with something that was already there in the fall, a weak spot, a clogged drain or a low area where water collects.

Here are the ways we recommend getting your driveway or parking lot ready before the cold sets in.

Walk the pavement while the weather is mild

Pick a dry afternoon and take a slow walk over the whole surface. Look for:

• Cracks that have widened since spring.
• Areas with alligator-pattern cracking.
• Holes, crumbling spots and loose material.
• Edges that are breaking off or sagging into the lawn.
• Low spots where you remember water sitting after rain.

Take photos so you can compare in spring. Our article on how the winter season affects your asphalt driveway explains why each of these turns worse once freezing starts.

Repair damage before the first hard freeze

Water is the engine of winter damage. It slips into openings, freezes, expands and breaks the asphalt apart from the inside. Any hole or broken area you leave open in November will collect water all winter.

Hot asphalt paving needs reasonable temperatures to compact and bond properly, so fall is the last good window for milling and repaving in most years. If you have damaged areas, schedule the work early in the season rather than hoping for a warm week in December.

Get water moving away from the pavement

Fall is the time to fix drainage problems that are simple to address:

• Clean gutters after the leaves come down so they do not overflow onto the driveway.
• Extend downspouts so they discharge onto the lawn or into a drain, not across the asphalt.
• Clear leaves and debris from catch basins, trench drains and the edges where the pavement meets the grass.
• Check that the lawn slopes away from the edges so runoff does not pool against them.

When water drains off and away, there is much less of it available to freeze inside the pavement.

Clean the surface

Leaves left in piles on asphalt hold moisture against the surface and can stain it. Sweep or blow them off regularly through the fall. While you are at it, clean up any oil or fuel spots with an absorbent and a mild detergent. Petroleum softens asphalt, and softened areas break up faster in freezing weather.

Mark your edges

Driveway edges are the least supported part of the pavement, and they are easily chewed up by shovels, snowblowers and plow blades that cannot see where the asphalt ends under a foot of snow. Install reflective edge markers along both sides of the driveway before the ground freezes. On commercial lots, mark islands, curbs and any edges that border landscaping.

Plan how you will handle ice and snow

A few winter habits make a real difference:

• Use a plastic shovel or one with a rubber or poly edge instead of a bare metal blade.
• Set snowblower skids so the auger housing rides slightly above the surface.
• Choose ice melt carefully. Calcium chloride products tend to work at lower temperatures and are generally a better fit for asphalt than heavy use of rock salt. Use only what you need.
• Do not chip at ice with a metal tool or spade.
• Pile snow on the lawn, not along the driveway edges where meltwater will sit against them.

The list of tips on readying your asphalt for winter has a few more ideas for colder months.

Know when prep is not enough

If your fall walk turns up widespread cracking, crumbling and sinking, a few repairs may not get the driveway through another winter in good shape. In that case, it may be time to talk about milling and repaving or a full replacement next season, ideally booked early so you are on the schedule for spring.

To talk through your options for a new or rebuilt driveway, see our asphalt driveway paving service. We will give you a free estimate and let you know what can wait and what should not.