Old man winter has officially reared his ugly head in Indiana.  While the below freezing temperatures, snow, ice and wind may make the school kids happy (let’s face it, who doesn’t love a snow day?); these extreme weather conditions take a negative toll on local asphalt parking lots.

When water penetrates asphalt cracks during the winter, it freezes, expands, and widens the cracks.  This process happens multiples times throughout the winter, worsening the cracks each time and eventually turning them into potholes. Potholes should be repaired immediately, regardless of the time of year.  If not taken care of immediately, they can lead to costly trip and fall lawsuits and lost business.

The most effective method of repairing a pothole is to cut out and remove the damaged asphalt and replace it with hot-mix asphalt.  However, the winter temperatures in Indiana are too cold to use hot-mix asphalt.  Therefore, treatment with cold patch asphalt should be used as a temporary repair.  Since this repair is only a band-aid to prevent the spread of the pot hole, the damaged area should be removed and replaced when the temperature warms up in the spring.

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About Otto’s Parking Marking

Otto’s Parking Marking is an Indiana parking lot maintenance company serving the greater Indianapolis area.  Otto’s has a well-deserved reputation for fair prices, quality workmanship, and excellent customer service. Whether you need a temporary pothole repair this winter or need to have some areas of asphalt permanently repaired in the spring, our dedicated team of professionals and highly trained crews are here to help.