Asphalt is a major investment for any property owner, and like anything else of value, it performs best with regular care. Knowing when and how to inspect your surface helps prevent small problems from becoming major expenses. Here’s a smart, realistic maintenance timeline for keeping your asphalt in great shape year-round.
The Annual Rule: One Formal Inspection Per Year
At a minimum, your asphalt should be professionally inspected once a year. This annual inspection catches early signs of wear, such as cracking, drainage problems, soft spots, and fading line striping. It also gives you a chance to plan for sealcoating, crack filling, or surface repair before the damage worsens.
For homeowners, this inspection is best done in the spring. Winter takes a toll on pavement, especially with freeze-thaw cycles, snowplows, and salt. Spring is when the damage shows up and when conditions are best for making repairs.
For commercial properties, especially those with high traffic, an inspection every spring is also essential, but a second check in the fall is highly recommended. Catching issues before cold weather sets in gives you a chance to address weak spots before they become winter liabilities.
Monthly Walkthroughs: A Quick Visual Check
You don’t need a contractor for every checkup. Once a month, walk your asphalt and look for changes. Are there new cracks? Is water pooling anywhere? Are oil stains forming under parked vehicles? Is vegetation popping through joints or edges?
These walkthroughs only take a few minutes but give you a big head start on maintenance. Early detection allows you to act quickly before small issues snowball into full-blown repairs. For homeowners, tie it to a regular outdoor chore like mowing the lawn. For businesses, assign it to a property manager or facilities lead.
Seasonal Maintenance: What to Check Each Quarter
Check the following according to each season.
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Spring:
This is the time for a full inspection, cleaning, and repair scheduling. Remove debris left by snow and ice. Look for new cracks or soft areas that developed during the winter. Schedule crack filling and evaluate if the surface is due for sealcoating.
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Summer:
This is your window for most major repairs, including resurfacing and sealcoating. Warm temperatures and dry weather help asphalt cure properly. If you’ve been putting off fixing large areas, now’s the time to act.
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Fall:
Perform a second inspection for commercial properties. Clean leaves and debris, and seal any new cracks before freezing weather arrives. Fall crack filling helps prevent water from getting in and expanding during the winter. Homeowners may not need as much fall work, but it’s still a good time to sweep and check for oil stains or edge damage.
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Winter:
Avoid major work during cold weather, but stay alert. Snow and ice buildup can hide damage. If you use de-icers, watch for chemical runoff that can wear down the surface. Keep snow pushed off edges to prevent damage to the base. And if plows scrape up chunks of asphalt, mark those spots for spring repair.
Commercial Lots: Why Twice-Yearly Inspections Matter
If you manage a business or large property, traffic wear and liability concerns make regular inspections even more important. Damage to a commercial lot can lead to safety hazards, vehicle damage, and unhappy customers. Local regulations may also require visible striping, clear fire lanes, and ADA-compliant access, all of which degrade over time.
Twice-yearly professional inspections are the standard for retail centers, apartment complexes, churches, and office parks. These inspections not only look for damage but also assess traffic patterns, drainage behavior, and surface integrity. They allow for better budgeting and longer pavement life.
Homeowners: One Inspection, Smart Maintenance
For residential driveways, a single annual inspection is usually enough, provided you keep an eye on the surface throughout the year. Most driveway damage comes from weather, poor drainage, or vehicle leaks. Keep it clean, deal with small cracks quickly, and reseal the surface every 2 to 3 years.
Just because a driveway is smaller doesn’t mean it can be neglected. Repairs are still costly, and water intrusion can wreck the base just as fast as it can on a commercial lot.
When to Call the Pros
If you see wide or growing cracks, sunken spots, uneven drainage, or areas where water doesn’t flow off properly, it’s time to bring in a contractor. Oil stains that won’t clean up or grass growing through the asphalt are other red flags.
At Walt’s Paving, we provide honest, experienced evaluations for both residential and commercial surfaces. We don’t push unnecessary services; we simply inspect, explain, and recommend the best way to extend the life of your asphalt.
How Can Walt’s Paving Help?
You can count on Walt’s Paving to complete your residential or commercial paving project in an efficient and timely manner. We have over 40 years of experience paving asphalt driveways, making asphalt repairs, and sealcoating asphalt. We are located in Osceola, IN, and serve homeowners and businesses within a 50-mile radius of Elkhart, IN. Call us today!
