Winter Driveway Maintenance Tips

One of the harshest seasons on your driveway can be winter. Your driveway can take quite the beating from snow and the treatments and processes used to remove them. You get the luxury of staying bundled up and indoors most of the time; your driveway does not. It’s up to you to ensure your driveway is protected during winter. Preparing in advance can go a long way toward helping extend the life of your driveway. Here are a few key actions to address winter driveway maintenance.

Address Cracks in Pavement

When cracks form in your driveway, you have a potentially serious issue. Rainwater and melting snow will seep into these cracks. As the temperatures drop, this water will expand in the crack. That expansion puts pressure on your pavement, causing it to shift. As the ice melts, your pavement will remain out of place. If you drive over these spots, the surface will likely buckle. In the end, you will end up with larger and larger cracks as the winter proceeds.

To avoid this, you will want to fill cracks as soon as you spot them. You can repair small cracks yourself, but larger ones may require a professional paving contractor to tackle the job. In all cases, when calling a pro, you will get a higher-quality job with longer-lasting results.

Stock up on ice melt

Ice melt is an easy way to help remove icy areas from your driveway. Remember, however, that not all ice melts are the same. Rock salt is the most common ice melt, also known as sodium chloride. The downside is that rock salt can be extremely harsh on your driveway. There are safer alternatives for your driveway, including potassium chloride or magnesium calcium acetate. If traction is your main concern that an even better option is kitty litter. It will not melt ice, but it is highly effective in providing traction and is very friendly to driveway surfaces.

Remove Snow

This sounds like an obvious one…and it is. Leaving snow on your driveway to go through a cycle of freeze, thaw, freeze, thaw will lead to the crack issues we addressed above.

Of course, this one seems like a no-brainer, but it’s all about the tools and methods. Smaller driveways can be cleared with a shovel. However, larger driveways and commercial lots can take time and effort. Hiring a contractor to tackle these jobs can save your back and precious time. Prepare ahead of time by lining up a contractor before the snow starts to fall.

Is your driveway ready for winter? Following these three basic tips this winter will go a long way in extending the life of your driveway.

Is your driveway in need of some professional repairs as we move from winter to spring? Are you interested in hiring a local contractor to tackle these issues for you? Call J McDonald Contracting LLC for your paving and seal coating needs. We are second-generation experts serving Frederick, Carroll, Baltimore, Howard, and Anne Arundel Counties in Maryland, as well as York and Adams Counties in Pennsylvania. Call us today, and let’s get you into our schedule.