Your parking lot is one of the most visited areas by customers. While it may go unnoticed for the most part, unsightly details are hard to ignore once they emerge. Damages such as cracks and breakage in the asphalt can leave your parking lot looking unkempt. To continue to impress your customers make sure to monitor the state of your parking lot regularly. If you notice cracks in the Summer, you may need to learn how to protect your parking lot from sun damage.

Asphalt can reach temperatures over 150 degrees. It’s no surprise then that your parking lot can take a beating from the sun. Much like a sunburn is a visual cue that there is damage to your body, parking lots show signs of deterioration from the sun. Pavement breaks are caused when ultraviolet sun rays fuse with oxygen and break down the chemical bonds that hold the pavement together. Pavement without protection is bound to crack and eventually break.

The answer to sunburns is sunscreen, and the equivalent of sunscreen for pavement is seal coating. A seal coat is made of anti-oxidizing additives that will protect your asphalt from various elements and most importantly in the summer, the sun.

The most cost-effective way to take care of your parking lot is to be proactive in your maintenance. Plan to protect the pavement from sun exposure with a pre-planned seal coat before the sun does its damage.

Sometimes we don’t know any better until we make a mistake. If you’ve been neglecting the catch basins in your parking lot you’ve probably learned a few things.

If you have neglected catch basins, the first thing you probably learned is where to locate them. They should exist in a low-lying area to work properly. If the catch basin has become positioned higher or there are not enough to sufficiently drain your parking lot, then you should consider installing additional catch basins.

Another lesson of a neglected catch basin is the need to clean it more often. A clogged drain just isn’t going to do the work you need it to do. You’ll have to decide on the frequency of cleaning depending on the foliage surrounding your parking lot and the climate you experience.

You may never have considered what material surrounded your catch basin, until now. If you’re noticing deterioration after winter, it’s possible that the material is asphalt. Asphalt is weakened by water and will cause a structural issue. Concrete is more expensive upfront but will increase the longevity of your catch basin. When installing a new catch basin, the wise choice is concrete.

Life is full of lessons that make us more knowledgeable. Taking care of your catch basins and parking lot can be quick and easy with routine cleaning.

When it comes to making your business look as good on the outside as it works on the inside, it can be hard to know what to do. One of the best ways is to take care of your parking lot the same way you take care of your customers.

The truth is that we tend to overlook parking lots in favor of more important details, but a clean, safe, comfortable parking lot can make a huge difference in customer satisfaction and first impressions. The first step in making sure that you have an A+ parking lot is to establish a regular maintenance plan. By sticking to this plan and regularly checking for issues like cracks or drainage problems, you can avoid the expense and stress of having a huge problem on your hands--all with just a little work right now. Your parking lot will appreciate it, your employees will appreciate it, and, to top it all off, your customers will appreciate it.

What can you do to show your parking lot more love?

With the fall around the corner, now is the time to begin to inspect your asphalt parking lots for defects such as potholes, cracks, faded line striping, damaged catch basins and asphalt / concrete tripping hazards.

Carefully inspect your parking lot to see if some issues below are present in your parking lot: 

Pot Holes: Pot holes are caused when water penetrates the subgrade of the asphalt parking lot through cracks or other areas of compromise, weaken the base and allow the pothole to form. Potholes are relatively inexpensive to repair if they are made a priority to fix early enough.

Cracks: Cracks are present in 90% of asphalt parking lots. Cracks develop from parking lots settling, paver seams separating, load stress and improper construction. Crack sealing is the most cost effective pavement maintenance option that can be implemented for your asphalt parking lot and will help prevent potholes

Faded Line Striping: Re-striping is typically completed in the spring and summer after winter snow and ice control activities which damage striping. It is important to make sure fire lanes and ADA Handicap stalls are properly marked

 Catch Basin Repairs: Catch basins begin to deteriorate from load stress created by traffic after the interior foundation begins to fail. Failure usually begins when water seeps into the walls of the catch basin and freezes creating freeze thaw damage. As bricks and mortar begin to crumble, sink holes develop and the frame and grate raise and lower under traffic loads.

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Creating asphalt concrete is not a simple task. A lot of consideration has to go into deciding which materials to use as well as the type of technique. Read on to understand why quality matters when it comes to asphalt.

The primary use of asphalt is for road construction. It is a mix of aggregates, binder, and filler. Aggregates are sand, gravel, or other recycled materials which are adhered together with a binder. The binder is known as bitumen, a sticky black tar substance. This composition is laid in layers and compacted to create the streets we see daily.

Different techniques allow for pavers to work year round. The three ways to mix asphalt are hot, warm, and cold. The varying temperatures produce different viscosity’s and abilities to work with the asphalt as it begins to dry. These techniques are also applied according to the needs of the project. Some roads see less traffic while others are racetracks and serve an entirely different purpose. The amount of street it intends to endure will have a say in the choice of technique.

Not all asphalt is created equally. All aggregated elements need to be durable while varying in size to create an optimal surface. If pavers use quality materials, the road will be stable enough to resist rutting and eventual disintegration under large loads. Other properties that quality asphalt will display are flexibility, impermeability, and durability.

Choosing the right aggregate will ensure these features are present. Stability arises from angular particles being unable to move past each other when confronted with the force of traffic. Durability, on the other hand, is improved by using thick binder content. Anything too thin will age and harden rapidly.