Brand new asphalt driveways turn into cracked messes after just a couple of New England winters in Boston, MA. Boston Paving Solutions sees it all the time across Dorchester, West Roxbury, and out into the suburbs. The local weather is very brutal on pavement. Between January nor'easters, heavy snowplows scraping the surface, and the endless spring freeze-thaw cycle where water gets into tiny cracks and turns to ice, your Asphalt Paving takes a serious beating.
If you want your Asphalt Driveway to last more than a few years, you cannot just pave it and forget it. Here is what actual maintenance looks like for a Boston property.
How to Extend the Life of Your Pavement
Keeping water out of the sub-base is the single most important rule of Asphalt Care. Water is enemy number one. When temperatures drop below freezing, that trapped moisture expands with incredible force, pushing the stone aggregate apart and creating potholes. You stop this by staying ahead of minor surface damage before it turns into a structural failure. Wash away oil spills, keep grass and weeds from pushing up along the edges, and never let heavy delivery trucks park on Residential Paving designed for standard passenger vehicles.
Your Regular Maintenance Checklist
Homeowners do not need a massive toolkit to keep an Asphalt Driveway in decent shape. Property owners in Boston, MA just need to spend a few weekends a year doing basic upkeep:
- Keep the surface clean of fallen leaves and organic debris that trap moisture against the binder.
- Pull weeds immediately if they sprout in the seams.
- Inspect the edges where the Asphalt Paving meets your lawn or concrete garage apron.
- Fill hairline cracks with a rubberized cold pour before the first snow flies.
Warning Signs You Can't Ignore
Ignoring a small problem is the fastest way to turn a two-hundred-dollar fix into a multi-thousand-dollar Asphalt Replacement. Watch out for alligator cracking—that web of interconnected fractures that looks like reptile skin. It usually means the foundation underneath has failed. Property owners will also want to keep an eye out for depressions where water pools after a heavy rainstorm. If your car is bottoming out or you see deep rutting near the tire tracks, the sub-base is washing away.
Boston Paving Solutions gets calls every spring from homeowners wondering why their DIY patch jobs did not survive the winter in Boston, MA. If you are seeing deep potholes, widespread crumbling along the edges, or large sections sinking into the ground, it is time to call in a professional crew for Asphalt Repair. Surface patches will not cut it when the foundation itself is compromised. Call Boston Paving Solutions for Asphalt Contractor work in Boston, MA.