Repairing Damage from Winter Weather

Love it or hate it, winter is a fact of life here in West Michigan. Some Michiganders embrace winter activities like snowmobiling and skiing, while others bundle up, stay indoors, and count down the days until they can soak up the sun’s rays on one of our many local beaches. No matter which camp you’re in, once you start driving around in the spring, you will quickly see and feel winter’s effects on paved roads and parking lots.

Winter is a long-standing arch nemesis of asphalt surfaces. The freeze/thaw cycles alone wreak absolute havoc on the condition and durability of pavement, and that’s without factoring in salt, snow plows, and even traffic (which is obviously a year-round factor in pavement condition and durability).

Now, this past winter was actually pretty mild by our standards, but the season still affected our roads and parking lots. Need an example? Hop onto eastbound M-6 from I-196. If you have cans of paint that have been sitting around for a while, just load them into your car or truck and the vibrations from the damaged highway will probably mix your paint up pretty well. At the very least, your vehicle’s shock absorbers are going to have one heck of a workout.

Of course, you can also just drive around pretty much anywhere in West Michigan and play “dodge the pothole.”

So what does this all mean for your parking lot or driveway? Well, those paved surfaces are also subjected to the same effects from our winter weather. You will see pavement that is in worse condition than it was last fall. Areas with minor damage in the fall could easily have full-fledged potholes now. Hairline cracks will have expanded. Basically, this all means your business, school, or church’s lot could probably use a little TLC.

It’s important to address those issues as early as possible. Right now, they are still aren’t as bad as they can get, which mean they are fixed more easily. That also means it will cost you a lot less than having to do a major job later – and it will become a major job if you don’t have it addressed! Cracks and other damage allow water and substances to infiltrate the pavement and reduce its structural integrity. You can take action to prevent this from happening, though!

Remember, even mild winters cause damage to your parking lot that can become very expensive when left untreated. The experts at Stripe A Lot help save your money and protect your property investment by taking care of these problems now. Our repaving and asphalt repair services are highly recommended by satisfied customers from all across West Michigan, so find out what we can do for you and your property today. Call 1-800-BLACKTOP for your FREE ESTIMATE!