The winter months can be difficult for your asphalt driveway. Even beyond the coldness contracting and then expanding your asphalt driveway, there are numerous things that can wind up damaging your driveway. Luckily, there are just as many ways to take care of your asphalt driveway, as well. You probably will not need to rely on the services of an asphalt contractor to replace a damaged driveway so long as you take these careful, preventative steps.

Plant Relocation

If you have shrubs lining your driveway, you may want to consider moving them from the area. During the winter months, your asphalt driveway can become particularly susceptible to the damage that growing roots can cause. During the cold season, your shrubs roots will actually grow deeper into the soil and expand outwards. This means that they can become invasive to your asphalt driveway and essentially dig themselves inside of the asphalt itself. This can cause cracking, splitting, and, worse yet, integral damage to the innards of your asphalt.


Edging involves removing the sod surrounding your driveway anywhere from 3 to 5 inches away from it. This essentially creates a space for snow to land and fall off of your driveway. It will also allow for you to sweep off snow that lands on your driveway more easily. Not only can snow pack in coldness that will work towards cracking your asphalt, it can also become quite heavy during large snowfalls. This heaviness might be more weight than your driveway is able to handle, which can cause damage such as cracking and, in some extreme cases, even potholes.

Removing Ice

It is imperative that you do not use salt on your driveway to remove ice. Not only can salt dry out your asphalt driveway, it can also work towards overheating it. Quickly overheating your driveway after it has been exposed to extreme cold is dangerous for the asphalt on your driveway and can create permanent damage. In ice's stead, it is recommended that you use specialized de-icing products on your driveway. Also, if you have access to sand, use that. Sand works much in the same way that salt does, but it does not heat the driveway to such an extreme amount.

Taking care of your asphalt driveway can be a difficult proposition. However, with a few tricks, you need not have to worry about calling up an asphalt contractor to repair or replace your driveway.