Your Guide to Parking Lot Repaving and Maintenance
Parking lot repaving and maintenance is often overlooked, yet it is critical for any business. Keeping a parking lot in top condition improves the property’s overall appearance and enhances safety for patrons and visitors. However, maintaining a parking lot surface can be too labor and time intensive for some business owners to take on all at once.
With our guide to parking lot maintenance and asphalt repaving, we will go through each step of this process so that you have what you need to get the right parking lot repairs and proper maintenance.
Additionally, we’ll also discuss tips on how to minimize disruptions to your business while repaving, as well as any tips on how to keep your newly repaved lot in the best shape possible.
Understanding the Benefits of Parking Lot Repaving
Parking lot repaving and asphalt maintenance can be highly beneficial for both businesses and organizations. Here are some of the many benefits of maintaining and repaving your parking lot.
It Improves The Life Of Your Parking Lot
Not only does repaving asphalt parking lots improve the overall look and attract customers to your business, but it also extends the life of the pavement itself by protecting it from wear and tear. In addition, a well-maintained asphalt parking lot helps to keep costs down, eliminating problems such as potholes or alligator cracks that can cause accidents or damage to vehicles.
When pavement is properly sealed and maintained, it can increase the longevity of the asphalt by up to 20 years. This means you’ll be able to utilize your parking lot space to its fullest potential – without worrying about costly repairs to old asphalt down the line.
It Improves Overall Parking Lot Safety
Maintaining a parking lot is essential for creating a safe environment for drivers and pedestrians. Repaving a parking lot helps to ensure that the pavement is free from potholes, large cracks, and other damage in the asphalt, which can cause accidents or create hazardous conditions.
Maintaining the parking lot also helps ensure that asphalt markings such as speed bumps, stop signs, or lane dividers are visible and in place. This type of maintenance helps prevent drivers from speeding or driving recklessly and ensures everyone knows where they should be navigating.
Routine maintenance for your asphalt parking lot can also help ensure proper drainage systems are in working order, preventing pooled water which can make already sizable cracks larger and increase safety hazards.
It Optimizes Your Parking Lot Space
Maintaining and repairing a parking lot can also help to maximize the available space in various ways. For example, you can repaint parking space divider lines to increase visibility and promote clearer navigation throughout the lot. This repainting helps to ensure that drivers are aware of their surroundings and provides clear boundaries for your spaces, ensuring maximum usage for the lot.
Additionally, maintaining and repaving your parking lot allows for greater efficiency when maneuvering vehicles into tight spaces on the asphalt surface. The uniformity of regular asphalt maintenance will allow for a smoother turning radius and reduce wear and tear on tires.
Preparing Your Parking Lot for Repaving
Repaving your parking lot is a great way to improve the look and functionality of the asphalt. To ensure the repaving job goes as smoothly as possible, it is essential to prepare the surface properly beforehand. The following steps should be taken to prepare your parking lot for repaving properly:
- Clear all obstructions from the parking lot’s surface – This includes any large debris, vehicles, or other objects blocking access to the asphalt.
- Clear all plants from the asphalt lot – Any vegetation such as trees, shrubs, and plants should also be removed before beginning the repaving work.
- Inspect the area for any damage or potholes that need repair – This could include cracks in the pavement, or damaged curbs and gutters.
- Address any other parking lot repair needed – All large and small cracks should be filled and repaired before repaving. This reparation will help create a smooth surface and prevent future damages once the new layer of asphalt pavement is laid down.
Minimizing Disruption During Repaving Your Parking Lot
One of the most common issues commercial property owners have during repaving is the disruption to their business. Here are a few tips we think can help reduce the disruption your paving will have to your business.
- Plan your parking lot paving with a contractor – One of the best ways to minimize disruption during the repaving of parking lots is to plan and have a clear strategy in place. Before beginning any asphalt paving, you should contact an experienced paving contractor to determine how long it will take and if any potential disruptions can be minimized or avoided altogether.
- Manage traffic flow before your commercial parking lot repair – Managing the traffic flow of your parking lot during repaving is another important step for minimizing disruption. You should consider setting up temporary barricades on the asphalt or using other traffic control measures to direct vehicles away from the paving site. Additionally, it would be beneficial to advertise in advance any closures, detours, or changes in access points that may affect customers or employees.
- Provide alternative parking options for customers – If possible, it is important to provide alternative parking solutions for customers during your asphalt parking lot repaving. If applicable, businesses can look into block-by-block permits that local governments typically issue for construction projects taking place over long periods.
Common Mistakes to Avoid During the Repaving Process of Your Asphalt Parking Lot
When starting your parking lot paving project, several common mistakes should be avoided to ensure a successful and durable result.
Mistake #1: Not Preparing Your Asphalt Lot Before You Start Paving
One of the most common mistakes is failing to prepare the surface properly. Before pouring new asphalt, the old and the area around it should be completely cleared of debris. If your lot is not prepared before you start repaving, it could prolong the timeline or cause issues for the contractors.
Mistake #2: Not Addressing The Drainage Issues In Your Lot
In addition, drainage should always be considered before you start parking lot paving. If drainage is inadequate or water pools on the existing asphalt pavement, this can cause severe damage over time due to freezing temperatures and excessive moisture. Install drainage channels before you repave to allow for water runoff away from areas prone to pooling.
Mistake #3: Neglecting To Keep Up on Parking Lot Repairs And Care
Another mistake commonly made when repaving an asphalt parking lot is neglecting to keep up with parking lot repair. While it can be tempting to postpone necessary upkeep to save money in the short term, ignoring maintenance issues will lead to higher repair costs.
Have regular inspections by a licensed paving contractor for your lot to identify potential issues, such as cracks or potholes, that need repair promptly to keep your parking lots looking their best and functioning correctly for years to come.
For Experience in Commercial Parking Lot Repair, Contact Lyons & Hohl Paving
When you need dedicated, qualified paving professionals to help you with your parking lot repairs or repaving, we can help at Lyons & Hohl Paving. Contact us today for a free quote and see how we can help you transform your asphalt today.
Resources:
- https://www.strategicgrounds.com/blog/parking-lot-maintenance-benefits/
- https://parkenterpriseconstruction.com/2020/07/06/commercial-parking-lot-repair-faqs/
- https://dcplm.com/blog/a-step-by-step-guide-on-how-to-repair-your-parking-lot-effectively/
- https://www.plsofflorida.com/repaving-parking-lot/
- https://www.a1asphaltinc.com/should-you-resurface-or-replace-your-asphalt-parking-lot.php