Do you have an asphalt driveway or asphalt surface on your residential, commercial, industrial or public property? If so, ensuring your asphalt is properly maintained is critical for safety, functionality and aesthetic reasons. Otherwise you could be in need of asphalt repair work.
But what sort of asphalt repairs should you be expecting?
In this blog, we’ll outline how weather can affect asphalt surfaces and what sort of repairs our team can provide.
Overview:
Perth’s climate and its effect on asphalt
Understanding the effects of the weather on asphalt surfaces
Tips for seasonal maintenance of asphalt
Tips for long-term maintenance of asphalt
Perth’s Climate and its Effect on Asphalt
Weather impacts all infrastructure and road surfaces, including asphalt driveways and asphalt surfaces, even here in Perth, Western Australia. While our beautiful pocket of the world boasts a Mediterranean climate of hot and dry summers with mild and wet winters, temperatures do range quite significantly. On average, temperatures can reach as low as 8°C in winter and as high as 40°C in summer.
Similarly, while the city receives an average of just 722.4 mm of rainfall annually, the majority of it falls between the few months of May and September. Most of the time, however, Perth is sunny and bright—which poses its own issues as well.
Understanding the Effects of the Weather on Asphalt Surfaces
Existing asphalt surfaces can be affected by extreme heat, heavy rainfall, and humidity.
Extreme Heat
High temperatures, for which Perth is well known during the summer, can cause asphalt surfaces to soften. Asphalt is composed of bitumen and crushed rock, and heat can cause the bitumen to soften, making the surface more susceptible to damage. The more it softens, the more wear and tear it will show when exposed to vehicular or pedestrian use. Under heavy traffic, asphalt repairs might even be required for rutting and deformation.
Even the effects of prolonged exposure to sunlight can cause asphalt cracking. In Perth, there is no lack of sunlight exposure. How does this work? The sunlight can accelerate a process of oxidation (which is a relatively normal part of the asphalt ageing process). However, the nature of accelerated oxidation means that the surface can become brittle and more likely to crack.
Heavy Rainfall
Asphalt surfaces can also have its integrity negatively affected when exposed to heavy rainfall. For one thing, water penetration can seep into existing cracks and cause the underlying structures to weaken. This erodes the surface’s strength and further exposes it to increased degradation. Heavy rainfall can necessitate bitumen repairs to address water damage.
When potholes or other surface-level damage occurs, drainage systems might not work properly. The result is standing water which can lead to further, compounded damage.
Humidity and Temperature Fluctuations
Humidity, and increases in moisture exposure, can impact the structural integrity of asphalt surfaces in much the same way as heavy rainfall.
Similarly, extreme fluctuations in temperature can cause the asphalt to expand and contract accordingly, increasing the likelihood of cracking and surface deterioration. These temperature fluctuations can lead to the need for road repairs, including asphalt surfaces.
Professional Asphalt Repairs
Fortunately, our team here at Claremont Asphalt are specialists in providing both asphalt repair services and surface inspections. In fact, we even offer free custom quotes to ensure that all of our clients make the right call if they see any signs of asphalt cracking.
Find out more about our pothole repair services here.
Find out more about our asphalt resurfacing services here.
Tips for Seasonal Maintenance
The key to ensuring greater longevity and performance from your asphalt surfaces is ongoing maintenance.
A well maintained driveway is crucial for both the aesthetics and safety of your property, preventing issues like cracks and potholes.
During the summer months, you can protect your asphalt from softening and becoming more susceptible to damage by applying a fresh layer of sealcoat. This provides a unique protective barrier against the effects of heat and UV rays, slowing down and even preventing oxidation.
Regularly inspect your asphalt surfaces throughout the warmer season to identify any emerging issues as quickly as possible. Look out for cracking, fading, softening or other visible damage. The earlier you can find and fix any issues, the less significant the asphalt repairs will be.
During the winter months of the year, ensure your drainage is properly functioning and that rainfall is not pooling anywhere on the surface.
Clear drainage of debris and inspect for visible damage as well. The more proactive you are able to be, the better you will be able to protect your asphalt surface.
Tips for Long-term Maintenance
Prevention is always better than cure. For long-term maintenance solutions, the most important thing is to use high-quality asphalt mixes specifically designed to be durable in local weather conditions and to employ asphalt specialists with experience in installation.
In other words: Rely on the team from Claremont Asphalt.
Our team uses premium materials to offer superior durability and functionality, even over time and when exposed to the weather. Our maintenance services help improve resistance to temperature (extreme and fluctuating), moisture exposure and UV radiation. Some investment initially in quality materials and labour can significantly reduce both the likelihood of premature degradation but also the extent of potential asphalt repairs down the road.
But expert installation isn’t the end of our specialist surfaces here at Claremont Asphalt. We are equally skilled and experienced in ensuring long-term asphalt preservation. Our maintenance services include regular inspection, timely crack filling, effective pothole repair, meticulous sealcoating and more.
Having our team of inspectors come out to your property to identify and address potential issues as early as possible can prevent the damage from escalating. This will save you money by avoiding costly repairs.
As mentioned above, we even offer no-cost and no-obligation asphalt repair quotes to ensure you can make the informed and right choice for your needs.
Contact Claremont Asphalt
Whether you’re worried about your asphalt cracking, want to know more about our installation and maintenance services, or are interested in obtaining your own asphalt repair kit, make sure to reach out to the premier provider of asphalt repairs Perth-wide with an experienced team today!