Pennsylvania driveways do not fail all at once. Freeze-thaw cycles work slowly — water enters cracks, freezes, expands, and breaks bond lines in the asphalt and base.
Clay-heavy Lehigh Valley soils hold moisture longer than well-drained stone. That moisture moves with every cycle, pushing pavement upward and opening new cracks by spring.
Road salt accelerates surface breakdown but is rarely the root cause. The root cause is usually water trapped under or inside the pavement structure.
Sealcoating and crack fill help when the base is sound. When the same potholes return in the same lane every year, the base needs evaluation — not another surface bandage.
Request an estimate if freeze-thaw damage returns every spring