How Freeze-Thaw Cycles Damage Your Pavement — and How to Protect It

Snow Removal Services

The repeated freezing and thawing of water in pavement pores is the leading cause of cracking and deterioration in Ontario driveways and parking lots.

Ontario experiences an average of 30 to 60 freeze-thaw cycles per winter season — defined as a 24-hour period where temperatures cross 0°C in both directions. Each cycle allows water to penetrate micro-cracks, freeze, expand by approximately 9%, and widen those cracks slightly. Over several seasons, hairline cracks become structural failures.

Winter Preparedness Tips

The most damaging period is late winter to early spring, when daytime highs push above freezing while nighttime temperatures remain well below. Wet snowmelt during the day penetrates pavement surfaces and refreezes overnight repeatedly across weeks.

Crack sealing in fall — before the first freeze — is the most cost-effective preventive maintenance. Commercial-grade crack sealant applied to cracks 3–20 mm wide prevents water ingress throughout the winter. This single treatment can add 3 to 5 years to the life of an asphalt surface.

D&D Snow Services Coverage

Asphalt sealcoating provides a protective barrier over the entire surface, filling micro-porosity and preventing water penetration. Sealcoating should be applied every 3 to 5 years on residential driveways and every 2 to 3 years on commercial surfaces with heavier traffic.

Avoid aggressive plowing angles and hard steel plow edges on surfaces showing early deterioration. Rubber-edge plows or urethane-edge systems cause significantly less mechanical damage to cracked or degrading pavement.