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FAQ: What is the Best Approach to Patching a Pothole?

It’s a fact. As asphalt ages, it naturally deteriorates. This causes common problems—like the formation of potholes. Unfortunately, if a given asphalt surface isn’t properly maintained, these problems will often occur much faster than they should, and property owners will be seeking solutions they otherwise would not need to—like figuring out the best approach to patching a pothole.

Here at Lyons & Hohl Paving, we often hear from both residential and commercial customers who have big questions about their driveways, parking lots, and other paved surfaces. And we’re always here to help. However, we always also try to drive home the point that preventing severe asphalt damage—such as large cracks, potholes, and craters—will always be your best bet in terms of safety and budget-friendliness in the long run, especially in public commercial settings. Continue reading “FAQ: What is the Best Approach to Patching a Pothole?”

When Can You Open a Commercial Parking Lot After Paving or Repaving?

A commercial parking lot makes the all-important first impression for any business. Smooth, solid parking lots with clean, sharp painted lines make a better impression than cracked, crumbing lots with faded lines, of course.

When commercial parking lots need to be repaved, business owners will actually save money in the long run by hiring paving professionals, who will do the job correctly. Although repaving a parking lot correctly does mean that cars can’t be on that surface for a few days, there are ways to mitigate the disruption, resulting in a solid parking lot that reflects your business’ stability. Continue reading “When Can You Open a Commercial Parking Lot After Paving or Repaving?”

What’s the Difference Between Asphalt Paving & Sealcoating?

The smooth, black texture of a newly paved driveway is great for curb appeal and always makes a fabulous first impression. But, just like everything else, asphalt pavement deteriorates over time due to vehicle traffic and extreme weather conditions—such as intense sun, freezing temperatures, ice, and snow. Other environmental factors, such as road salt, engine oil, and gasoline are also harmful.

Eventually, your asphalt pavement will need to be repaired or replaced. That’s when homeowners typically begin looking for paving services like asphalt paving or sealcoating.

So, what’s the difference between asphalt paving and sealcoating, and which one is right for your driveway? In today’s post, we break down the differences and offer tips to help you decide. Continue reading “What’s the Difference Between Asphalt Paving & Sealcoating?”

How to Get More Mileage From Your Parking Lot with Better Maintenance

As the owner of a commercial or industrial building in the Mid-Atlantic region, you’re responsible for addressing many preventative maintenance issues to ensure the safety and visual “curb appeal” of your property. However, parking lot maintenance probably does not often rise to the top of the priority list.

Be honest—beyond snow removal in the wintertime, have you thought much about your building’s asphalt parking lots lately?

Over the years, continuous usage by customers, vendors, and staff members inflicts wear and tear on your parking lot’s asphalt. Eventually, this creates safety hazards and general unattractive conditions in areas that should be welcoming to visitors and employees alike.

Luckily, there are some steps you can take to help preserve your asphalt parking lots and delay or avoid costly, disruptive repaving projects.

The key is to understand what asphalt is as a material, how long it should last, and what factors are damaging. Today we’ll discuss these and also give you some tips on how you can extend the life of the asphalt parking lots on your commercial property. Continue reading “How to Get More Mileage From Your Parking Lot with Better Maintenance”

6 Big Mistakes Most People Make with Asphalt Sealcoating

For homeowners looking to save money on routine maintenance of paved surfaces around their homes, and commercial business owners and managers tasked with keeping vast parking lots and access driveways in shape, going the do-it-yourself route with asphalt sealcoating seems like a great idea…at first. The truth is driveway sealing and application of sealcoat to asphalt in your parking lots can cause a lot of headaches—and waste your valuable time and money—when not done correctly.

What are the biggest mistakes that non-professionals make when attempting to renew the paved surfaces in their care? Continue reading “6 Big Mistakes Most People Make with Asphalt Sealcoating”

Know the Signs That Your Driveway Needs Resurfacing

Have you noticed the cracks in your driveway growing larger lately? Are you finding yourself navigating puddles of water or tripping hazards when you walk onto your driveway to get the mail? It’s a good idea to pay attention to these signs because they may mean that it’s time to resurface your driveway.

We all like to hope that our driveways will last forever and that we’ll never have to do a full driveway replacement, but the reality is that they are all subject to wear and tear over time and will eventually need some attention. If your driveway is over 10-15 years old, it may be time to take an honest look at its condition and determine if it needs some maintenance work.

Over time, your driveway will start to experience surface distress. Surface distress is caused by a variety of factors including hot and cold weather, drainage issues, and fatigue from the weight of cars rolling over and parking on driveways each day. While we already know why asphalt is the best driveway paving option, here are a few issues to look for that may indicate that driveway resurfacing is the best option for you. Continue reading “Know the Signs That Your Driveway Needs Resurfacing”

Is Your Parking Lot Turning Your Customers Away?

Your parking lot tells visitors and potential customers a lot about your business.

Clearly designated parking spots, clean surroundings, and a smooth parking lot surface provide a positive first impression of a competent company that cares about its customers.

On the other hand, cracked pavement, potholes, faded pavement markings, or trash, often send a message of disorganization—or worse yet—complete indifference.

So how do you make sure your business is sending the right message when visitors pull into your parking lot? Here are some tips to make a solid first impression that keeps customers coming back again and again. Continue reading “Is Your Parking Lot Turning Your Customers Away?”

Why Asphalt is the Best Residential Driveway Paving Option

We often hear home improvement experts on TV talking about boosting “curb appeal,” which is how your house looks to approaching visitors or people passing by on the street.

To make the best first impression, you want to assure that your landscaping is tidy and attractive, your siding isn’t faded, and you don’t have a lot of kids’ toys or old lawn equipment laying around, among many other aesthetic issues.

But, have you considered how your driveway figures into the presentation?

You may not think much about that paved or stone surface that connects your home to the actual curb and beyond, but if it’s in poor condition or made of subpar material, it’s quietly undermining all your hard work and ruining your home’s appeal. Especially if you’re planning to sell your home in the near future, having a professional asphalt contractor pave or resurface your driveway should be at the top of your improvement to-do list.

Today’s post highlights a few of the materials your home’s driveway and parking areas may be surfaced with now and shows you why asphalt is undeniably the better choice for residential applications. Continue reading “Why Asphalt is the Best Residential Driveway Paving Option”

Why You Must Hire Professionals to Sealcoat Your Parking Lots

Asphalt parking lots degrade over time as the binding cement that keeps them together breaks down. Regular parking lot use, as well as sun, snow, and rain cause this breakdown, resulting in crumbling surfaces that also fade in color and stain easily. Sealcoating the parking lot is the most efficient solution to this age-related problem.

Sealcoating is the process whereby a crude oil-based solution is painted onto existing asphalt. This coating restores the color and integrity of asphalt, solidifying any areas that were beginning to crumble. Asphalt sealcoating prevents water from penetrating the surface and breaking down the asphalt. A properly sealcoated parking lot also greatly enhances the overall appearance of any business.

When applied to asphalt parking lots every 2 – 3 years, sealcoating can greatly extend the life of these asphalt surfaces and prevent the need for costly stripping and repaving. Sealcoating is a much more affordable choice because it can be accomplished quickly and with minimal disruption to your business. Continue reading “Why You Must Hire Professionals to Sealcoat Your Parking Lots”

An Overview of Commercial Paving Options

As a business owner or commercial property manager, you’re responsible for keeping many structures and systems in and around your building or buildings in good working order. When was the last time you thought about your driveways, parking lots, and other paved surfaces?

If business expansion is on your mind, or if you have an older property that needs some work, it’s true that you may actively be thinking about these assets now – this is good! Asphalt care and maintenance should be on every commercial property manager’s regular task list, but we realize that it sometimes gets overlooked.

That means you may not know what your options are when it comes to building and improving or simply keeping parking lots and driveways in shape. And that’s why we’re taking a look today at how services provided by commercial paving contractors like Lyons & Hohl Paving are integral to your property management routines. Continue reading “An Overview of Commercial Paving Options”