Do you look outside, and wonder when a shower of asteroids broke your asphalt? Do you wonder how potholes form?

Well it’s not outer space ruining things: it’s Old Man Winter. He has no Respect for your ground. And there’s a science behind his crack-causing cruelty: the freeze-thaw cycle.

Basically, Old Man Winter is out to destroy your lot, and water is his favorite tool. It’s an effective one too – if it can carve out canyons, it can rack up some serious damage to your pavement if you’re not careful.

1

As water trickles over the ground, it gradually causes little micro-cracks that compromise the surface of your asphalt. As it snows, and warmer weather melts it, water seeps through existing cracks and settles in under the pavement.

2

When the temperatures drop again, the water pooled beneath the surface freezes and expands, breaking up your asphalt from below.

3

The ice thaws and evaporates, and the damage is done: the top layer of pavement has nothing to support it below. And the process will repeat itself, getting worse every time.

4

In the meantime, the weight of cars wears away at the compromised surface. And with the trap laid, Old Man Winter strikes axels with holes in the asphalt (think stepping into quicksand, or falling through a patch of thin ice). Another patch of pavement claimed by potholes, and another curse-word muttered by drivers.

5

That’s where Maul comes in. We’ll give your ground the Respect it deserves, and we won’t stop until your potholes are not-holes.