---
title: "Blog | Prater Companies"
description: "Asphalt maintenance, seal coating, and snow removal tips from Prater Companies — a locally owned contractor based in Watertown, MN."
lang: en
json-ld: |
  {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "Blog",
    "name": "Prater Companies Blog",
    "url": "https://pratercompanies.com/blog",
    "publisher": {
      "@type": "Organization",
      "name": "Prater Companies"
    },
    "blogPost": [
      {
        "@type": "BlogPosting",
        "headline": "Driveway Drainage in Minnesota: How Water Destroys Asphalt (and What to Do About It)",
        "datePublished": "2026-07-23",
        "url": "https://pratercompanies.com/blog/driveway-drainage-minnesota-asphalt"
      },
      {
        "@type": "BlogPosting",
        "headline": "New Asphalt Driveway Care in Minnesota: When Should You Sealcoat?",
        "datePublished": "2026-07-23",
        "url": "https://pratercompanies.com/blog/new-asphalt-driveway-care-first-sealcoat-minnesota"
      },
      {
        "@type": "BlogPosting",
        "headline": "Asphalt vs Concrete Driveway in Minnesota: Which One Actually Holds Up?",
        "datePublished": "2026-06-26",
        "url": "https://pratercompanies.com/blog/asphalt-vs-concrete-driveway-minnesota"
      },
      {
        "@type": "BlogPosting",
        "headline": "Commercial Snow Removal Contracts in Minnesota: A Property Manager's Buying Guide",
        "datePublished": "2026-06-26",
        "url": "https://pratercompanies.com/blog/commercial-snow-removal-contracts-minnesota"
      },
      {
        "@type": "BlogPosting",
        "headline": "The Minnesota Asphalt Driveway Maintenance Calendar: A Month‑by‑Month Guide",
        "datePublished": "2026-06-19",
        "url": "https://pratercompanies.com/blog/minnesota-asphalt-driveway-maintenance-calendar"
      },
      {
        "@type": "BlogPosting",
        "headline": "How to Remove Oil Stains from an Asphalt Driveway: A Minnesota Homeowner's Guide",
        "datePublished": "2026-06-19",
        "url": "https://pratercompanies.com/blog/how-to-remove-oil-stains-asphalt-driveway-minnesota"
      },
      {
        "@type": "BlogPosting",
        "headline": "Parking Lot Striping & ADA Compliance: A Minnesota Property Manager's Guide",
        "datePublished": "2026-06-12",
        "url": "https://pratercompanies.com/blog/parking-lot-striping-ada-compliance-minnesota"
      },
      {
        "@type": "BlogPosting",
        "headline": "Asphalt Patching & Pothole Repair: What Actually Lasts Through a Minnesota Winter",
        "datePublished": "2026-06-12",
        "url": "https://pratercompanies.com/blog/asphalt-patching-pothole-repair-minnesota"
      },
      {
        "@type": "BlogPosting",
        "headline": "Parking Lot Seal Coating in Minnesota: A Property Manager's Guide",
        "datePublished": "2026-06-06",
        "url": "https://pratercompanies.com/blog/parking-lot-sealcoating-minnesota"
      },
      {
        "@type": "BlogPosting",
        "headline": "How Long Does Seal Coating Last on a Minnesota Driveway?",
        "datePublished": "2026-06-06",
        "url": "https://pratercompanies.com/blog/how-long-does-sealcoating-last-minnesota-driveway"
      },
      {
        "@type": "BlogPosting",
        "headline": "How Often Should You Seal Coat a Driveway in Minnesota?",
        "datePublished": "2026-05-29",
        "url": "https://pratercompanies.com/blog/how-often-to-seal-coat-driveway-minnesota"
      },
      {
        "@type": "BlogPosting",
        "headline": "Crack Filling vs. Driveway Replacement: What Minnesota Homeowners Should Know",
        "datePublished": "2026-05-29",
        "url": "https://pratercompanies.com/blog/crack-filling-vs-driveway-replacement-minnesota"
      }
    ]
  }
---

[![Prater Companies LLC](/assets/prater-logo-final-Be55_XMR.jpg)](/)

[Home](/)[About](/about)[Services](/services)[Gallery](/gallery)[Blog](/blog)[Promotions](/promotions)[Contact](/contact)

[763-234-7341](tel:7632347341)[Get Quote](/contact)

Blog 

# Driveway & Asphalt Tips. 

Straight‑talk advice from a locally owned Watertown, MN contractor — seal coating, crack filling, snow removal, and getting more years out of your asphalt. You can also [view current Prater Companies promotions](/promotions).

[![Rainwater pooling on a Minnesota asphalt driveway next to a green lawn edge](/assets/blog-driveway-drainage-CYIyLzku.jpg)](/blog/driveway-drainage-minnesota-asphalt)

July 23, 2026· 8 min read 

## [Driveway Drainage in Minnesota: How Water Destroys Asphalt (and What to Do About It)](/blog/driveway-drainage-minnesota-asphalt)

Water is the number‑one cause of early asphalt driveway failure in Minnesota. How to spot drainage problems, where the water is coming from, and what actually fixes it.

[Read more](/blog/driveway-drainage-minnesota-asphalt)

[![Freshly paved new asphalt driveway at a Minnesota home](/assets/recent-driveway-1-after-CeY7IwK3.jpg)](/blog/new-asphalt-driveway-care-first-sealcoat-minnesota)

July 23, 2026· 9 min read 

## [New Asphalt Driveway Care in Minnesota: When Should You Sealcoat?](/blog/new-asphalt-driveway-care-first-sealcoat-minnesota)

How long to wait before the first sealcoat, how to protect fresh blacktop through Minnesota's first summer and winter, and when to have the surface evaluated.

[Read more](/blog/new-asphalt-driveway-care-first-sealcoat-minnesota)

[![Side‑by‑side comparison of an asphalt driveway and a concrete driveway at a Minnesota home](/assets/blog-asphalt-vs-concrete-D-UBKbg_.jpg)](/blog/asphalt-vs-concrete-driveway-minnesota)

June 26, 2026· 8 min read 

## [Asphalt vs Concrete Driveway in Minnesota: Which One Actually Holds Up?](/blog/asphalt-vs-concrete-driveway-minnesota)

Asphalt flexes with Minnesota freeze‑thaw and is easy to repair; concrete lasts longer in stable climates but cracks harder. A side‑by‑side from a Watertown contractor.

[Read more](/blog/asphalt-vs-concrete-driveway-minnesota)

[![Commercial snow plow truck clearing a Minnesota retail parking lot at dawn](/assets/blog-snow-removal-contracts-q2_xHP9_.jpg)](/blog/commercial-snow-removal-contracts-minnesota)

June 26, 2026· 9 min read 

## [Commercial Snow Removal Contracts in Minnesota: A Property Manager's Buying Guide](/blog/commercial-snow-removal-contracts-minnesota)

Trigger depths, response times, insurance, site maps, and renewal terms — what every Minnesota property manager should look for before signing a commercial snow contract.

[Read more](/blog/commercial-snow-removal-contracts-minnesota)

[![Freshly sealcoated asphalt driveway in front of a Minnesota home in early autumn](/assets/blog-maintenance-calendar-DnFQCu1d.jpg)](/blog/minnesota-asphalt-driveway-maintenance-calendar)

June 19, 2026· 8 min read 

## [The Minnesota Asphalt Driveway Maintenance Calendar: A Month‑by‑Month Guide](/blog/minnesota-asphalt-driveway-maintenance-calendar)

Inspect in spring, crack‑fill in June, sealcoat July–September, prep in late fall, protect in winter. The full Minnesota driveway calendar from a Watertown contractor.

[Read more](/blog/minnesota-asphalt-driveway-maintenance-calendar)

[![Cleaning a motor oil stain off an asphalt driveway with a scrub brush and degreaser](/assets/blog-oil-stain-removal-CwIjKJqQ.jpg)](/blog/how-to-remove-oil-stains-asphalt-driveway-minnesota)

June 19, 2026· 8 min read 

## [How to Remove Oil Stains from an Asphalt Driveway: A Minnesota Homeowner's Guide](/blog/how-to-remove-oil-stains-asphalt-driveway-minnesota)

Fresh spill, set‑in stain, or old soaked‑in mess? The exact method to pull oil out of asphalt — and when to sealcoat over it — from a local Watertown, MN contractor.

[Read more](/blog/how-to-remove-oil-stains-asphalt-driveway-minnesota)

[![Freshly striped commercial parking lot in Minnesota with ADA accessible stall](/assets/blog-parking-lot-striping-DjJ1r0_a.jpg)](/blog/parking-lot-striping-ada-compliance-minnesota)

June 12, 2026· 7 min read 

## [Parking Lot Striping & ADA Compliance: A Minnesota Property Manager's Guide](/blog/parking-lot-striping-ada-compliance-minnesota)

ADA stall ratios, paint specs that survive Minnesota winters, and how to time striping with sealcoating — a commercial property manager's guide from a local Watertown, MN contractor.

[Read more](/blog/parking-lot-striping-ada-compliance-minnesota)

[![Hot mix asphalt pothole patch repair on a Minnesota driveway](/assets/blog-pothole-repair-oH4T1PwP.jpg)](/blog/asphalt-patching-pothole-repair-minnesota)

June 12, 2026· 7 min read 

## [Asphalt Patching & Pothole Repair: What Actually Lasts Through a Minnesota Winter](/blog/asphalt-patching-pothole-repair-minnesota)

Why MN potholes keep coming back, what cold‑patch vs hot‑mix vs full‑depth repair actually do, and which one survives freeze‑thaw — straight from a local Watertown, MN contractor.

[Read more](/blog/asphalt-patching-pothole-repair-minnesota)

[![Freshly seal coated commercial parking lot in Minnesota with crisp white stripes](/assets/blog-parking-lot-sealcoating-BxU4s1PH.jpg)](/blog/parking-lot-sealcoating-minnesota)

June 6, 2026· 7 min read 

## [Parking Lot Seal Coating in Minnesota: A Property Manager's Guide](/blog/parking-lot-sealcoating-minnesota)

How often Minnesota commercial lots should be sealed, what a real commercial sealcoat includes, and how to schedule the work without shutting down your business.

[Read more](/blog/parking-lot-sealcoating-minnesota)

[![Close-up of a freshly seal coated asphalt driveway in Minnesota with a deep black finish](/assets/blog-sealcoat-lifespan-Diob5Cgo.jpg)](/blog/how-long-does-sealcoating-last-minnesota-driveway)

June 6, 2026· 7 min read 

## [How Long Does Seal Coating Last on a Minnesota Driveway?](/blog/how-long-does-sealcoating-last-minnesota-driveway)

Sealcoat doesn't fail overnight — it fades in stages. Here's what to expect from a fresh coat in Minnesota and the 6 things that shorten its life.

[Read more](/blog/how-long-does-sealcoating-last-minnesota-driveway)

[![Freshly seal coated asphalt driveway in Watertown, MN](/assets/recent-project-sealed-3-BpROJD4H.jpg)](/blog/how-often-to-seal-coat-driveway-minnesota)

May 29, 2026· 6 min read 

## [How Often Should You Seal Coat a Driveway in Minnesota?](/blog/how-often-to-seal-coat-driveway-minnesota)

Minnesota winters are hard on asphalt. Here's the seal coating schedule we actually recommend to homeowners in Watertown and the west metro — and how to tell yours is due.

[Read more](/blog/how-often-to-seal-coat-driveway-minnesota)

[![Asphalt driveway after crack filling and seal coating in Minnesota](/assets/recent-driveway-2-after-Fyy40Xyj.jpg)](/blog/crack-filling-vs-driveway-replacement-minnesota)

May 29, 2026· 6 min read 

## [Crack Filling vs. Driveway Replacement: What Minnesota Homeowners Should Know](/blog/crack-filling-vs-driveway-replacement-minnesota)

When does crack filling save your driveway, and when is it time to replace? A local Watertown, MN contractor breaks down what we actually look for on a site visit.

[Read more](/blog/crack-filling-vs-driveway-replacement-minnesota)

![Prater Companies LLC](/assets/prater-logo-final-Be55_XMR.jpg)

Professional asphalt maintenance, snow removal, and dump truck services serving Watertown, MN and surrounding areas.

## Quick Links

[Home](/)[About](/about)[Services](/services)[Gallery](/gallery)[Blog](/blog)[Promotions](/promotions)[Contact](/contact)

## Service Areas

[Sealcoating in Waconia, MN](/service-areas/waconia-mn-asphalt-sealcoating)

## Legal

[Privacy Policy](https://sites.leadconnectorhq.com/preview/7w8b4xG97PoYh9bj4NEW)[Terms of Service](https://sites.leadconnectorhq.com/preview/wr9QmxO7oGqziIeNROoa)

## Contact

[763-234-7341](tel:7632347341) [sales@pratercompanies.com](mailto:sales@pratercompanies.com)

Watertown, MN & Surrounding Areas

© 2026 Prater Companies. All rights reserved.