The winter of 2014 was pretty hard on all of us. Parts of the country that had never seen real snowstorms found themselves struggling with sheets of ice. Those used to snow discovered that Mother Nature had it out for them, hammering them with feet of snow. And far too many of us learned the hard way that a seemingly well done driveway paving could stand up to the winter.
Looking for a paving company in Annapolis to help repair winter damage to your driveway? Contact AC Paving at 410-923-6100 or click here to contact us online!
How Winter Trashed Your Driveway Paving
The elements can wreck any driveway, but there are two problems in particular that far too many homeowners learned about the hard way this year: Potholes and frost heaves.
Potholes form when water collects under your driveway in the soil. Water works its way into the underlying soil and weakens the driveway up above; think of your asphalt as a piece of plastic wrap stretched over a bowl. It’s fine to put pressure on if it’s got something underneath it, but when it doesn’t, the asphalt collapses, and now you’ve got a pothole to work around.
Frost heaves work in a somewhat similar matter, only instead of water washing away the underlying soil, it freezes. The ice then works its way upwards towards the colder areas. This forms a “lens” underneath your driveway, deforming the soil. Once it gets a little bit warmer and that ice melts, the displaced soil falls into the now empty space and, well, you’re calling a paving company.
How Can A Good Paving Company Help?
You might be wondering how a paving company might be able to help you with what would appear to be a natural process. The answer is that a properly done driveway is designed, quite literally from the ground upward, to reduce the chance of frost heaves and potholes, and create a hard-wearing surface that will last.
First of all, for these problems to happen, you need two things: Water and frost-and-water susceptible soil. A qualified paving company will strip your driveway down to the dirt and ensure that you have a high-quality soil base that won’t wash away with a little rain, or collect enough water for an ice lens to form. That will ensure that you’ve got a driveway that won’t buckle when the temperature drops.
Secondly, a high quality paving job is constructed to ensure proper drainage, and that water flows away from your driveway and into proper drainage areas as much as possible. It won’t prevent all the water from getting into the soil under your driveway, but it will help ensure as little of it as possible does, reducing the chances of ice forming.
Finally, a high quality paving company guarantees its work. If something unexpected happens, you won’t be stuck with a pothole to drive around.
Looking for a paving company in Annapolis to help repair winter damage to your driveway? Contact AC Paving at 410-923-6100 or click here to contact us online!
A Good Driveway Means A Better Winter
In the end, it’s important to have a proper driveway in your home, both for your property value and your car’s alignment. If winter’s been hard on your driveway, call a paving company about fixing it… and ensuring your driveway outlasts the worst winter can throw at it.