Spring Cleanup After Winter: What to Check on Your Property

Once the snow melts, winter leaves behind a list of issues that should be addressed before the ground fully dries out.

Snow Removal Services

Once the snow melts, winter leaves behind a list of issues that should be addressed before the ground fully dries out.

The first spring walk-through of a property after winter is often revealing. Deicers and sand tracked across lawns, damage to sod from plow edges, cracks opened in asphalt or concrete from freeze-thaw cycles, and salt staining on walkways are all common findings.

Winter Preparedness Tips

Lawn damage from salt runoff is one of the most visible signs of a hard winter. Brown or dead patches near the edges of driveways and walkways are caused by sodium chloride concentration in the soil. A thorough watering to flush the salt away, combined with overseeding, typically resolves this within the first growing season.

Paved surfaces should be inspected for new cracking or heaving. Winter freeze-thaw cycles expand existing micro-cracks. Asphalt crack sealing in spring, before water penetrates the sub-base during rain season, extends the life of your driveway or parking lot significantly.

D&D Snow Services Coverage

Eavestroughs and downspouts may have been damaged by ice dam weight or are clogged with debris that thawed out from under snow. Clean and inspect these before the spring rain season to prevent water pooling near foundations.

Retaining walls and garden borders are prone to shifting due to frost heave. Walk the perimeter of your property and note any sections that have moved out of alignment. Early correction is easier and cheaper than waiting until the movement has progressed.

Devon Moore, Operations Lead Co-Founder & Operations Lead — D&D Snow Services

Devon Moore is the co-founder and Operations Lead at D&D Snow Services, providing reliable residential and commercial snow removal across Waterloo Region.