Your blacktop parking lot is an integral part of your commercial property. It’s the first thing a visitor encounters when they arrive and the last thing they see as they leave, and this means it’s got to be clean and presentable at all times. You never get a second chance to make a first impression, after all!
This is why keeping your lot in good condition is so important. Here are some of the best repair and maintenance tips to keep your blacktop parking lot looking its best.
A Little Bit of Maintenance Goes a Long Way
When it comes to blacktop parking lot maintenance, the sooner the better. The reason being is that if you catch a problem sooner, it prevents a much bigger mess down the road. Small cracks get worse over time because water can infiltrate them, expanding the crack with every frost and making room for more water with every thaw. Unless you address cracks as you find them, you’ll be addressing potholes — and those are a lot harder (and more expensive) to fix!
Blacktop Parking Lot Sealcoating Does the Job For You
Tired of scouring your lot constantly in a tireless crusade to spot cracks before they get too big? You can relax your vigilance by enlisting the aid of the best tool ever for keeping your lot in good condition: an asphalt sealcoat. Having a sealcoating applied to your lot provides a layer of protection against the elements, preventing water from seeping into it and starting that freeze-thaw cycle to begin with. Not only that, but sealcoating protects against the sun’s harmful rays, keeping it from fading to that unsightly gray color most lots end up at.
You Can Do It Yourself — But You Don’t Have To
If you’re smart and resourceful — and you catch those cracks early before they turn into potholes — there’s nothing stopping you from fixing those potholes yourself. Most hardware stores sell blacktop parking lot asphalt patch kits, and with the right tools, you can mix up a patch and apply it yourself. At the same time, though, why spend the time and energy on self-maintenance when you don’t have to? Turn to a professional paving company and have them take care of your maintenance for you. It won’t cost you much more, it will save you time and effort, an (perhaps most important) you’ll know the job will get done the right way!
The Last Word on Blacktop Parking Lot Maintenance
If you’re a commercial property manager, it’s your job to keep your building looking neat and inviting. That extends to your parking lot, so it’s important to keep that in great shape as well. The key to blacktop parking lot maintenance is speed: the sooner you identify problems to be fixed, the quicker you can get them taken care of before they grow into larger ones. Relying on a qualified parking lot contractor to do the heavy lifting, either to patch those cracks as they appear or to apply a sealcoat to keep them from showing up in the first place, and your lot will look good as new for years to come.