If you were to mention getting asphalt pavement ready for winter weather to people in Minnesota or Maine, they would likely imagine snowfalls measured in feet and bitterly cold temperatures. The topic conjures up a different image for residents in the Atlanta, Georgia, area, where the average annual snowfall totals less than three inches and no month typically has average lows that reach the freezing mark.
However, statistical data does not paint the complete picture. The area’s weather can be extremely variable. Temperatures drop below freezing an average of 48 nights per year although seldom for many consecutive days. Ice storms are not unknown in the area, and rainfall is pretty well divided evenly among all 12 months. Therefore, it is just as important for local property owners to have asphalt repairs completed, including crack repair, before winter weather hits as it is for property owners in states that endure brutal winters.
• If water should penetrate beneath your pavement, it can reach the foundation and destabilize it. Once the foundation has been destabilized, it can no longer support the pavement. Typically, the only way to repair a destabilized foundation is to remove the existing pavement over the damaged foundation and then install new pavement after the foundation has been corrected.
• Cold temperatures can turn little potholes into big ones and make asphalt cracks wider and longer. If the asphalt cracks expand, your pavement will likely experience additional potholes caused by the growing cracks. Simply stated, your repair costs will increase as a result of the additional damage.
• Potholes are rough on vehicles and a safety hazard to pedestrians. If they fill with water and freeze, they are even more dangerous, and the frozen “pothole puddle” will also cause more damage to the surrounding pavement.
Taking corrective action before cold weather arrives will save you money in the long run and help ensure that your pavement will still be attractive in the spring.
MH Greeson Paving provides an extensive range of asphalt services to customers throughout North Georgia, including the greater Atlanta area. Whether you need asphalt repairs, paving, sealcoating, markings or any other type of asphalt maintenance, our crews have the expertise to deliver quality results at competitive rates. You can submit our online form to request a free quote, or you can reach us by telephone at 770-335-2983.
