Asphalt maintenance is extremely important when you own a parking lot. Your lot will last longer, need fewer repairs, and look nicer when you keep up with the maintenance of the asphalt. Here are some types of asphalt maintenance your lot could need.
1. Sealcoating
A sealcoat is a thin coating that's applied to the surface of your parking lot. The coating is black, so it keeps the asphalt from looking like it's faded and worn out. The main purpose of a sealcoat is to protect the asphalt from rain and UV rays.
UV rays speed up the deterioration of asphalt. Rain can cause potholes and damage to the base if it gets in a crack. Sealcoating places a protective barrier on the surface of your parking lot to protect it from these damages. However, a sealcoat wears off and needs to be replaced. If your lot gets heavy traffic, you may need to add a sealcoat more often than a lot with little traffic.
2. Striping
Stripes are important for a parking lot because they manage traffic. If people park between the stripes, you'll be able to get more cars on your lot. Plus, stripes may be a requirement of the ADA and your local codes office.
Stripes tend to wear down too and need to be reapplied. You may want this done around the same time you have a sealcoat put on so the stripes stay bright and noticeable.
3. Repairing Cracks
Cracks and holes in your asphalt parking lot should be repaired regularly. If your asphalt is not too old and in good shape, you might get by with having repairs done right before you have a new sealcoat put on. However, if cracks form earlier, you'll probably want to get them repaired.
The danger with cracks is they let water get down to the base and that leads to bigger problems if the base washes away or shifts. Sealing the cracks with hot asphalt closes them tightly so rain can't be as destructive to the asphalt.
4. Improving Drainage
Most of the asphalt maintenance you need will be for minor problems and for damage prevention. However, your lot might need major repairs at some point. This might happen when a drainage issue develops that causes water to stand on the asphalt.
Standing water causes the asphalt to deteriorate more quickly. Plus, it looks ugly and can allow mosquitoes to breed. When water puddles on your parking lot, that's a sign of a drainage problem. Water should always drain to the side or to a drain.
An asphalt contractor has to determine the problem, which might be soil shifting under the parking lot or a blocked drain. In some cases, part of your lot may need to be torn up so the base can be repaired.
Speak to a contractor to learn more about asphalt maintenance.
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