Seasonal Maintenance: Keeping Your Pavement Ready
Aadvik Smith 
In Southern Ontario, every season brings a new challenge for your asphalt. To keep your property safe and attractive, you need a year-round plan. From the salt of winter to the heat of summer, knowing what to do and when to do it can save you from a massive repair bill down the road.
A Seasonal Guide to Asphalt Care
Spring is the time for inspection. As the snow melts, you will likely see new cracks or small potholes. Summer is the time for action—this is when the weather is stable enough for major paving and sealing work.
Fall Preparation
Before the first frost hits, it is essential to ensure all your maintenance is complete. Once the ground freezes, it becomes much harder to do any effective repair work. Clearing your drains and ensuring there is no standing water will prevent ice from damaging your surface.
Winter Protection
While you can't do much paving in the winter, you can protect your surface. Use calcium chloride instead of traditional rock salt when possible, as it is less corrosive to the asphalt binders. Be careful with snowplow blades, which can scrape and gouge the surface if not set correctly.
The Importance of Summer crack sealing
The heat of July and August is the perfect time for crack sealing. The existing asphalt is expanded, and the warm temperatures allow the liquid sealant to flow more easily into every nook and cranny of the damaged area.
Preventing "Winter Widening"
If you seal your cracks in the summer, you prevent them from widening when the cold hits. This simple step is what separates a driveway that lasts 10 years from one that lasts 30 years.
Protecting the Sub-Base
The ultimate goal of sealing is to keep the sub-base dry. Once the gravel beneath your asphalt gets saturated with water and freezes, it turns into "frost heave," which can destroy even the thickest pavement.
Modern Solutions for asphalt driveway repair
If your spring inspection reveals significant damage, don't panic. Modern asphalt driveway repair techniques are faster and more effective than ever before. Many repairs can be completed in just a few hours with minimal disruption to your daily routine.
Full-Depth Patching
For areas that have completely collapsed, a full-depth patch is the answer. The contractor removes the old asphalt and the damaged gravel, replaces it with fresh material, and compacts it to the original grade.
Surface Rejuvenation
Sometimes, your asphalt isn't broken, it's just "tired." Rejuvenation products can be applied to add oils back into the surface, restoring flexibility and preventing the need for more intensive repairs for several more years.
Conclusion
Pavement maintenance is a year-round commitment, but it doesn't have to be a chore. By staying observant and working with professional contractors, you can keep your Southern Ontario property in top shape regardless of the weather. Ontario Asphalt is ready to help you with everything from a simple estimate to a complete overhaul. Keep your surfaces smooth, your customers safe, and your home beautiful by staying ahead of the seasons.
