Asphalt is an incredibly reliable and enduring surface, but it’s not without its vulnerabilities. The Chicagoland area experiences frequent temperature and weather fluctuations throughout the year. As a commercial property manager, it’s vital to understand the climatic effects these conditions have on your pavement so you can protect your investment and continually keep your parking lot looking and feeling like new.
Save valuable money and time; protect your asphalt now. Below our Chicagoland paving experts describe some of our local weather conditions and their effect on your parking lot.
Extreme Heat
Chicagoland’s summers bring the heat—these months are hot, humid, and sunny, with the occasional thunderstorm thrown in for good measure. Heatwaves are not uncommon, and these extreme temperature and weather differences can wreak havoc on your pavement if you meet summer unprepared.
Extreme heat causes your asphalt pavement to soften and over time inevitably crack. Water will then seep inside these cracks and erode the sub-surface layers; when paired with the continual trauma of vehicle weight, your asphalt will sink, divot, and possibly give birth to dangerous and unattractive potholes.
Extreme Cold
Winter is not the “most wonderful time of the year” for your asphalt.
Our winters are piercing cold and often bring freezing rain. These frigid temperatures and freeze-thaw cycles can cause severe damage to your pavement.
Freezing temperatures penetrate the ground and cause trapped sub-surface water to form ice lenses. These expanding ice structures displace the soil and heave your asphalt upward.
Frost heave significantly threatens the structural integrity of your pavement. Aside from being unsightly, parking lots and roadways suffering from frost heave pose a hazard to drivers and pedestrians. This is an urgent problem to tackle right away for reasons of safety and aesthetics!
Cracking occurs when water seeps into your asphalt during the freeze-thaw cycle. When left unaddressed, these cracks will expand and eventually lead to a dreaded pothole.
Rain
Cracking pavement leaves itself vulnerable to damage inflicted by rain, sleet, and hail. Rainwater wears away your asphalt’s binder from its aggregate and erodes the top layer of the pavement. Once the sub-base of your asphalt is compromised, your pavement will weaken and become highly vulnerable to damage and deterioration.
Protect Your Investment and ROI
Fortunately, you can mitigate the worst of weather-inflicted damages by simply having a thoughtful and strategic routine maintenance plan in place.
Preemptive maintenance is designed to protect your asphalt from elemental damage and deterioration all year long. Services like sealcoating and routine repair work will not only keep your asphalt looking and feeling like new, but will significantly extend the life of your pavement.
This is the most cost-effective and hassle-free way to boost your property’s ROI and protect your investment.
A&A Paving’s highly trained experts have proudly served the Chicagoland area for 60+ years using only superior materials and techniques. You won’t find a paving company with more local industry knowledge or experience. Our team will protect your investment at a fair, cost-effective price, and we will ensure your asphalt provides top-notch performance and function even in the worst weather conditions.
Don’t wait! Call us today at 630-529-2500 to have our industry experts assess your commercial property and ensure your pavement lasts for seasons to come.
