Though we sometimes forget them, driveways are vital features of any property. Your driveway isn’t just a place to park your car; it’s also one of the first things people see when they visit or drive past your home. With proper care, your driveway can crack and become rather unsightly.
Maintaining your driveway during the winter months can be incredibly challenging. The water can freeze, expand, and contract when ice and melted snow seep in. Once large or hairline cracks occur, you’ll need to pay expensive repairs to restore your driveway.
Fortunately, you can avoid these cracks with simple maintenance techniques. To help you, we’ve compiled a list of valuable tips for maintaining your driveway in winter. For professional driveway care, call Epoxy Power by BMI at (818) 835-8000.
Utilize a Driveway Sealant
Even before the winter season hits, you can take preemptive maintenance measures and seal your driveway. Sealing products fill any small holes or cracks that are already in your driveway. They help prevent water from melting ice or snow from seeping into your driveway.
Seal coating works by replenishing the oil binder in your asphalt, allowing it to repel any water that might seep through the driveway. In general, you should reseal your driveway every three to five years. Resealing will effectively prevent water damage and cracks while restoring your driveway’s aesthetic appeal.
While you can seal your driveway yourself, professional equipment and sealants are far more effective. Further down, we’ll discuss why a professional coating from Epoxy Power by BMI is the best way to prevent water damage and large cracks and maintain your driveway throughout the winter.
Keep Up with Snow and Ice Removal
As effective as driveway sealants and coatings can be, they aren’t a guaranteed solution. When the cold weather of winter gets excessively harsh, it can tear away at your sealant and leave gaps for water to seep through. If you constantly have snow and ice on your driveway, they’ll put unnecessary pressure on the coating.
To help your sealant, remove the snow and ice from your driveway as often as possible. After fresh snow or an extreme drop in temperature, shovel or snowplow to keep your driveway relatively clear.
Be careful, however, when removing snow and ice. Heavy-duty shovels and low-set snowplows can damage the brittle surface of your driveway. We recommend plastic or rubber-bladed shovels.
Use Natural Deicers
Removing the bottom layer of ice from your driveway is nearly impossible using plastic or rubber-bladed shovels. Instead, you’ll likely need a de-icing product to do the job. Before you buy a de-icer, do a little research about the product.
Chemical de-icing solutions can quickly melt ice but harm the environment and your driveway. Products like rock salt can corrode pavement and damage asphalt. Natural de-icers, such as sand, will melt your ice while protecting your driveway and the environment around you.
An alternative to de-icing is installing a radiant heating system. These systems heat the surface of your driveway from underneath, melting the snow and ice above and eliminating the need for a de-icing product. Though expensive up front, radiant heating systems will save you time while being a safe and effective alternative to de-icing solutions.
Trust a Professional Company for Driveway Coatings
Driveway coatings from Epoxy Power by BMI are effective solutions for maintaining your driveway in winter. In fact, a protective coat can benefit your home or commercial property’s driveway or garage in any season of the year.
At Epoxy Power by BMI, our polyurea base with polyaspartic top coat is the best driveway coating solution in the industry. It is high-quality, durable, long-lasting, and resistant to harsh winter elements. Further, this polyaspartic coating will give your driveway a new and shiny quality that adds to your home’s curb appeal.
For low-budget projects, or if you want to save some money, Epoxy Power by BMI also offers a standard epoxy coating. Though it doesn’t have as many benefits as polyaspartic coating, our epoxy is still an effective coating solution for many surfaces.
Call Epoxy Power by BMI Today!
Keeping the house warm, ensuring your tires can handle the snow, and so many other challenges give you plenty to worry about during the cold season. Check “maintaining your driveway in winter” off the list by trusting Epoxy Power by BMI. With a 20-year warranty, our coatings can protect your driveway from cracks and other damages for the foreseeable future.
Safely and effectively protect your driveway. Call Epoxy Power by BMI at (818) 835-8000.
