The Commercial Pavers Winter Survival Guide
Landscape Architects designing outdoor spaces for freezing climates have specific challenges to consider when they’re selecting building materials. Dealing with freeze-thaw cycles and de-icing agents can cause a few (potentially costly) headaches, so it helps to be strategic when designing these types of projects.
Taking precautions and choosing the right products will protect your outdoor design, even when snow and ice threaten the durability of that space.
The Damage That Winter Weather Brings
There are a few ways that a harsh winter storm can damage your commercial property’s exterior design. While regular maintenance helps to protect your hardscaping year-round, ice and snow can have a significant impact on even the most durable building materials. Here are a few things to look out for:
• Freeze-thaw cycles will degrade materials that aren’t manufactured for durability.
• If you’ve got clogged permeable paver systems, ice and snowmelt that doesn’t drain away can freeze and cause damage.
• De-icing agents can degrade hardscaping materials, especially when applied frequently throughout the winter season IF the products are not made to resist such damage.
• Scraping snow and ice off of surfaces can damage the materials used in your design.
There are a few solutions that architects can look to, however, to help preserve and protect the outdoor spaces they design.
The Damage That Winter Weather Brings
There are a few ways that a harsh winter storm can damage your commercial property’s exterior design. While regular maintenance helps to protect your hardscaping year-round, ice and snow can have a significant impact on even the most durable building materials. Here are a few things to look out for:
• Freeze-thaw cycles will degrade materials that aren’t manufactured for durability.
• If you’ve got clogged permeable paver systems, ice and snowmelt that doesn’t drain away can freeze and cause damage.
• De-icing agents can degrade hardscaping materials, especially when applied frequently throughout the winter season IF the products are not made to resist such damage.
• Scraping snow and ice off of surfaces can damage the materials used in your design.
There are a few solutions that architects can look to, however, to help preserve and protect the outdoor spaces they design.
