During the winter your driveway is exposed to snow, ice, freezing rain, salt and sand. It can and will take a toll on the pavement or concrete in your driveway. Thankfully, there are things that you can do to help minimize the damage and keep everyone safe from slipping.
1 Clear Snow Immediately
It’s a good idea to keep ahead of snow piling up. Once you have a couple of inches on the ground, start clearing it away. When snow piles up on your driveway, it can freeze with the temperature change and turn to ice. Melting snow seeps into cracks and causes more damage, making those cracks deeper.
2 Hire A Service
The advantage of hiring a professional service is convenience and experience. They understand how to plow without causing damage to your driveway or lawn. They also put salt/sand mix down to make it easier to drive and walk on your driveway.
3 Seal It In The Off Season
Putting a sealant on your pavement driveway is a great way to extend the life of the pavement. It helps to fill cracks and prevent the pavement from splitting any further. When someone plows to low scraping the pavement, it can create cracks and holes.
4 Get A New Shovel
Inspect your shovel now before snow flies. A damaged shovel can damage the pavement over time. Inspect your shovel and if the corners are bent and rusted, get a new shovel this year.
5 Don’t Over Salt
One mistake that is made often is overuse of salt. If you see an ice patch, don’t pour the salt on. Salt melts ice and that turns to slush and seeps into the cracks in the pavement. When this freezes it will widen and damage the pavement further.
6 Light Snow Falls
Have you ever had a light snowfall less than 1 inch? Don’t get the shovel out, get the push broom. For light dustings, a push broom works great and save you time.
7 For Heavy Snowfalls
A snowblower is great for the walkways around the house. Keep your snowblower handy with extra gas and oil and ready for the winter season. There are a variety of snowblowers on the market, choose one that best fits your needs.
