What your customers see first when they arrive at your building is your parking lot. When it’s in bad shape with cracks and potholes, people take notice, and that can set the tone for their visit into your store, restaurant, or office

Not only are parking lot pitfalls an eyesore, they are also unsafe. Accidents, both vehicular and pedestrian, occurring due to poor parking lot maintenance have been on the rise across the country, and many could be prevented with simple paving repairs.

Our team at Bituminous Roadways, Inc. can help you find the right fix for your parking lots to keep you and your customers safe and ready to eat, shop, and use your services.

Tip #1: Don’t Wait to Make Repairs

To extend the life of your parking lot and to maintain your business’s inviting vibe, make repairs as soon as possible. Have a qualified estimator come to your site and assess the needs of your lot. Based on the condition of the asphalt, they can develop an accurate estimate for repairs. Making repairs before they get too bad saves you money in the long run.

These are some distresses they might find and a recommended repair option:

  • Deterioration that requires asphalt patching.
  • Cracking, either localized or spread throughout, which needs cracksealing.
  • Potholes that are large enough to need dig-out permanent repairs.
  • Missing or faded parking lines, where a sweep and re-stripe can revitalize those markings.

Correcting these safety hazards increases the longevity of your asphalt parking lot and makes it safer for your customers to walk and drive on.

Tip #2: Replace When It’s Time

For a polished, new look and when your lot is in need of multiple repairs, it might be time to consider a full parking lot replacement. In many cases, this is your most cost-effective option, and you benefit from a new parking lot that will last for many years!

Use an asphalt company who can properly assess the grade of your lot and install asphalt with the right slope to drain water correctly. This will keep your asphalt in good condition for longer.

It’s important to inform your asphalt installers about the types of traffic patterns in your parking lot. Certain areas of your lot should be zoned for heavy-duty pavement, like loading docks where garbage trucks or semi-trucks drive. The areas where passenger cars park and drive can use a lighter-duty asphalt mix.

Tip #3: Check Your Curbs

Instant curb appeal happens literally with your curbs. Make sure the concrete curbing and sidewalks around your lot are intact. Cracked or chipped curbs are unstable and potential safety hazards. In addition, curbs are installed to properly carry water away from your parking lot. Water that isn’t being diverted to the storm drains is most likely pooling, causing issues with the asphalt.

Prior to any asphalt maintenance, be sure concrete repairs are included in the project scope. Use an experienced concrete team to make curb and sidewalk improvements, and add gutters and catch basins to help remove water from your lot. Standing water can shorten the lifespan of your asphalt lot, so the more ways to drain your lot well, the better.

Tip #4: Use Asphalt for New Construction

Building a new business? Make sure your new parking lot meets all of your safety and beautification requirements by encouraging your general contractor to work with a trusted asphalt company. A qualified team will help you plan for different traffic loads, design around landscape features, and prepare the ground below your lot for proper asphalt installation.

The Asphalt Company Trusted by Business Owners

For exceptional repair, replacement, and new construction of parking lots, trust the asphalt company with more than 75 years of experience. Call Bituminous Roadways, Inc. today at 651-686-7001 or contact us online to start your parking lot project.