Now that we are well into the winter months, you are most likely seeing the effects of cold weather everywhere, especially on our roadways. Snow, ice, deicing chemicals, and snow plows can put some serious wear and tear on roads. If ice freezes and expands inside a crack in the pavement, this can result in one of the most hazardous winter driving conditions: potholes. In order to restore an asphalt surface to prime driving condition and make them safe, repairing potholes is key. But for these pothole repairs, should you be using cold mix or warm mix asphalt? Read on to find out more about these two different asphalt types and how they can help you with your winter weather roadwork.
What is Cold Mix Asphalt and When Is It Used?
Cold mix asphalt is by far the most popular choice for pothole repairs in winter. Why is this, you ask? Well for one thing, cold mix asphalt is among the easiest asphalt types to prepare and apply: it does not need to be mixed, heated (hence the name), or treated in any particular way before it can be laid down. Not only does it not require any special treatment, but cold mix asphalt also does not require any special materials or tools to be used during its application. Asphalt installation experts will simply shovel or pour it directly into the pothole that needs repairing and smooth it out with a hand tool: it’s as simple as that! The placement of Cold mix asphalt will not suffer any adverse effects by being exposed to cold temperatures, making it an ideal winter roadwork solution.
What is Warm Mix Asphalt and When Is It Used?
Warm mix asphalt is generally acknowledged to be the “greenest” option available in the industry. Warm Mix Asphalt is produced and placed at a lower temperature than conventional Hot Mix. This allows the production costs and energy expenditures to be kept low, meaning that it takes fewer fossil fuels to produce. But is it as usable during the winter months as cold mix asphalt is? In colder temperatures, Warm Mix asphalt is easier to work with than conventional Hot Mix, because of how it is produced. If used correctly Warm Mix Asphalt could make a good permanent solution for pothole repairs, as opposed to the equally efficient but temporary fix of cold mix asphalt.
Do you have questions about how to go about repairing potholes in winter? Get in touch with the asphalt experts from Reliable Contracting today!
Reliable Contracting Company serves the following and surrounding counties: Annapolis, Queen Anne’s, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Baltimore City, Calvert, Caroline, Charles, Howard, Prince George, St. Mary’s, Talbot, and Washington D.C.