Spokane Asphalt Paving Contractors for Driveways, Parking Lots and Roads

Water is the engine of freeze-thaw damage. Rain and snowmelt enter pavement through cracks, joints and porous spots and soak the base and subgrade. When temperatures drop below 32°F, that water freezes and expands by roughly nine percent, prying cracks wider and lifting the pavement. When it thaws, the ice leaves voids and a saturated, weakened base, and the next load of traffic breaks the surface down.

Spokane's climate makes this a repeating process. Winter and early spring temperatures cross the freezing point again and again, and each crossing is another cycle of expansion and contraction. The freeze-thaw cycle parameters that matter most are how often temperatures cross 32°F, how deep frost penetrates, how much water is present in the pavement structure and how quickly the pavement thaws. That is why we focus on keeping water out of the pavement and out of the base.

Asphalt expands and contracts with temperature, and cold weather makes the binder stiffer and less able to stretch. Combined with frost movement in the soil below, that stress shows up as transverse cracks across the pavement, longitudinal cracks along joints and block cracking as the surface ages. Once a crack opens, it admits water, and the freeze-thaw cycle widens it every season. Sealing cracks while they are narrow is the cheapest way to extend pavement longevity.

Potholes form when water-saturated pavement is loaded by traffic. During a thaw, the surface and base are at their weakest, often with melted water trapped above frozen soil. Wheels then pump water and fines out of the pavement, break the asphalt into pieces and eject it. Permanent repair means cutting to sound pavement, correcting the base if needed, tack-coating and placing compacted hot-mix. See our asphalt repair page.

Frost heave happens when frost-susceptible soils, typically silty soils with fine particles, draw water upward as they freeze and form ice lenses that lift the pavement. When the ice melts, the soil is overly wet and soft, and the pavement settles unevenly. Heaving is worst where drainage is poor or the base is thin. Solutions include deeper crushed rock bases, geotextile separation, subsurface drainage and correcting grades so water does not collect.

Drainage is the most cost-effective protection against freeze-thaw damage. Pavement slopes, gutters, swales and inlets move water off the surface and away from the base. Even a small area of ponding can freeze into a hazard and soften the base beneath it. We verify grades before paving so water leaves the pavement instead of soaking in.

The crushed rock framework carries traffic loads and drains water. When it is well graded and compacted in lifts, it resists settling, limits water retention and reduces frost heave. A poorly compacted base compresses under load, creates ruts and lets the surface above crack. Subbase base compaction is invisible once the asphalt is placed, which is why we treat it as the most important part of the job.

Sealcoating protects the surface from UV, water and chemicals, and when combined with crack sealing it limits water entry. It does not repair structural damage, so it works best on pavement that is still sound. Many properties benefit from sealcoating every few years after the initial cure; see asphalt sealcoating.

Yes. Studded tires, which are legal in Washington during winter months, abrade the surface and polish the aggregate, and plow blades can scrape or catch edges and raised patches. Dense, well-compacted asphalt with good aggregate resists this wear better, and plow shoes set slightly above the surface reduce damage on driveways and lots.

Asphalt tolerates deicers better than concrete, but they can increase the number of freeze-thaw events by melting snow that then refreezes. Shovel and plow first, use deicers sparingly, and avoid piling meltwater where it will drain across pavement.

If cracks are limited, drainage is good and the base is firm, asphalt overlays can renew the surface. If you see alligator cracking, ruts, soft areas or heaves, the base has failed and needs to be rebuilt. We probe and evaluate before recommending an approach so you do not pay for a surface fix on a base problem.

Hot-mix asphalt requires compatible air and ground temperatures, dry base conditions and enough time to compact before the mat cools. In Spokane, that generally means late spring through early fall. Winter cold patching can stabilize hazards, but permanent work should wait for suitable conditions.