Freshly paved commercial lots start cracking after just one brutal Philadelphia winter. Apex Asphalt Co sees it all the time across the Delaware Valley. Between the freeze-thaw cycles from January through March and the scorching humidity baking asphalt in July, local pavement takes a very heavy beating. Property owners and property managers around here who ignore seasonal maintenance are throwing money away.
Apex Asphalt Co spends a lot of time fixing problems that could have been avoided with simple seasonal timing. Local climate demands specific care from your asphalt and staying ahead of the weather is very important.
Spring: Assessing the Damage and Scheduling Repairs
Spring in Philly means pothole season is officially open. Once the frost finally leaves the ground around Port Richmond and South Philly, the expansion and contraction of water left behind in tiny cracks causes the surface to break apart. Spring is the time to walk your property and inspect the Asphalt Paving. Look for alligator cracking, sunken catch basins, and loose aggregate.
Commercial property owners need to schedule patching and crack filling early in the spring before the summer rush hits. Keep an eye on the thermometer during this time. Hot pour rubberized crack filler and new Asphalt Paving mixes need specific ambient temperatures to cure right. If the ground is still freezing at night, materials will not bond properly.
Summer: The Prime Window for Paving and Sealcoating
Summer is peak Asphalt Paving season in southeastern Pennsylvania, and for good reason. The warm weather lets liquid asphalt flow smoothly and compact properly under heavy rollers. Summer is also the ideal time to apply coal-tar or asphalt emulsion sealcoat. Sealcoating protects your parking lot from UV rays and keeps oil and gas spills from dissolving the binder.
The tricky part about Philly summers is the humidity and sudden afternoon thunderstorms. A downpour hitting freshly laid sealcoat or hot mix Asphalt Paving can ruin a day of work instantly. Experienced local contractors keep a close eye on the radar and plan around heavy July and August storms. Apex Asphalt Co makes sure every commercial Asphalt Paving job is done right and never rushed just to squeeze in extra accounts before dark.
Fall: Prepping for the Freeze
By October, the intense summer heat breaks, giving local properties a fantastic window for maintenance before winter arrives. Fall is your last real chance to seal up cracks and fix drainage issues on your Asphalt Paving. Autumn leaves pile up on commercial lots and trap moisture against the pavement. That trapped water turns to ice the second temperatures drop below freezing.
Fill those cracks before the first November frost hits. If water gets inside an open crack and freezes, it expands with incredible force and turns a minor hairline fracture into a massive trip hazard by the time you shovel snow in January. For commercial properties in Philadelphia, Apex Asphalt Co provides Asphalt Paving maintenance services.
Winter: Emergency Care and Snow Management
Winter weather in Philadelphia is unpredictable. One week it is fifty degrees and raining, and the next week brings a Nor'easter dumping ten inches of heavy snow across the region. Commercial snow removal is necessary, but snow removal is also where a lot of parking lot damage happens to Asphalt Paving.
Heavy plow blades catch on uneven seams, raised manhole covers, and deteriorated joints. Snow removal crews must use rubber-edged blades or set their shoes properly to glide over the Asphalt Paving surface instead of gouging it out. De-icing chemicals must also be managed carefully because heavy chemical use can accelerate the breakdown of older asphalt surfaces.
Taking care of commercial pavement is not complicated, but it does require paying attention to the calendar and local weather patterns. Stay proactive, fix small problems when they are cheap, and your Asphalt Paving parking lot will last for 15 to 20 years or more instead of falling apart after a few tough years.