It is that time of the year again in Vancouver when the temperatures fluctuate between reaching freezing point and just staying over the threshold. We often find ourselves wondering, is the sun going to shine today or am I going to have 3 inches of snow piled up in front of my door?
Well, regardless of what the weather has in store for us, it is important to take the necessary precautions and winterize your driveway before the snow hits.
If you’re wondering why and how winterizing your driveway can help, we’ve got the answers for you.
Why You Need to Winterize Your Driveway
The answer is rather simple. Whether you have an asphalt or concrete driveway, snow has similar effects on both. When the snow melts, water seeps into tiny, microscopic pores and cracks of your driveway. If you’re curious as to whether this can cause any major damage, well it can and it will. The temperature in those cracks drops, causing it to freeze the water. The frozen water expands, creating stress on the concrete or asphalt road.
With colder weather throughout this time of the year, the process repeats itself over and over again, expanding any cracks that exist and creating new ones. Those minor cracks start developing into much bigger ones, making things worse for your driveway. When it does get to this point, it becomes very hard to treat the problem, and your home driveway suffers immensely.
If you want to save money by preventing having to redo your entire driveway, you need to ensure you have winterized your property’s exterior and cleaned your driveway properly.
Here’s how you can winterize your driveway.
How to Winterize Your Driveway
There are a few steps involved in making sure you have winterized your driveway completely. Since Vancouver winters aren’t as harsh as other places, a good way to start getting your driveway ready for the colder months is by pressure washing it to ensure all the dirt and grime stuck on it is gone.
Pressure Washing in Vancouver
During the cooler months, you might choose to take a break from home interior and exterior care. However, this can be dangerous because mildew thrives in colder, damper climates. Take advantage of the “off-season” to pressure wash your driveway. Remove the grime, mildew, and mould buildup on your concrete or asphalt, and keep your driveway damage-free.
If pressure washing in the cooler temperatures still doesn’t sound too fun, that’s where our professional pressure washing services come into play. There’s a certain level of technique that you need to make sure you’re pressure washing your driveway correctly. Leave it to us to take care of your home exterior to keep you worry-free all winter long. Stay warm and dry indoors, and let our expert technicians, trained to work in all seasons, make your home look clean.
Once you’ve pressure washed your driveway and gotten rid of all the mould buildup, make it a point to seal any cracks you might have on the concrete or asphalt.
Don’t Overdo It on the Salt
When you wake up to snow covering every inch of your driveway, it’s challenging to restrain yourself from throwing large handfuls of salt all over. Shovelling is hard, and salt doesn’t need you to do back-bending work – trust me, we get it. But, salt can be a major contributor to damaging your driveway in the winter months.
Since the salt does cause all the snow to melt, it could lead to a buildup of cracks in your driveway again. While shovelling your driveway will remove the snow from the area altogether, salt will simply melt it on the ground, leading to refreezing and more cracks in your driveway.
Instead of using salt on your driveway, try shovelling as much as you can, or borrow a snow plowing machine from a friend or neighbour to get the job done.
Use Proper Tools
Make sure you’re using the proper tools you need to clean your driveway. Using a broken shovel can cause damage to your driveway, as well as damage to yourself. Look for chips in the blade of your shovel. Even the smallest chips can dig into your concrete or asphalt. So keep an eye out on your tools when you take them out of storage to shovel with.
If you’re unsure of whether you have the right tools at home to carry out these tasks, make sure you reach out to the experts for help. Feel free to contact one of our professionals at Umbrella Property Services, and we will make it a point to take good care of your driveway and give it the servicing it needs. Your home exteriors are important to us.
Contact us now for a free quote.
