Commercial asphalt maintenance is something most property owners don’t think much about except in certain times of year. With cracks, potholes, and other issues usually forming over the winter, most asphalt repair takes place in the early spring, but the truth is that there’s no bad time to keep your commercial asphalt in good shape. In fact, whether it’s spring, summer, or even autumn, it’s never too soon to keep your property’s parking lot in good shape.
Commercial Asphalt Needs to Be Sealcoated Regularly
Asphalt parking lots on their own are highly resistant to wear and tear, especially when your commercial paving company adds a sealcoat as part of the construction process. Sealcoating adds a layer of protection that keeps your asphalt both looking and feeling good, reducing your maintenance needs significantly.
That being said, sealcoats don’t last forever! They need to be replaced every three to five years to keep providing that all-important layer of protection. Because sealcoats need to dry overnight at a temperature of around 50 degrees Fahrenheit or less, sealcoating is best done in late spring before it gets too hot or early autumn before the leaves fall.
Cracks Can, and Should, Be Filled Whenever They’re Spotted
Asphalt can be susceptible to cracks forming as a result of bad weather. Water that seeps into a parking lot or pathway expands if the temperature drops below freezing, leaving ever-widening gaps behind once that ice thaws. Over time, this can lead to cracks… which can lead to the bane of property owners everywhere: potholes.
It’s important to patch these cracks whenever they become noticeable. This not only prevents cracks from widening and collapsing into potholes — which are even more labor and cost-intensive to repair — but keeps your parking lot looking more attractive. Don’t wait until the end of winter to patch those cracks; instead, patch early and often to extend the life and the look of your commercial asphalt lot.
Commercial Asphalt Maintenance: Grading, Drainage, and Pooling Issues
Do you notice that your parking lot has sections where standing water tends to accumulate? Are there sections where, instead of water running off to drains, instead gravitates to other sections entirely? You could have a problem with your lot’s grading — and it needs to be ironed out well before winter hits.
If you’ve got standing water in the summer, by the time cold weather comes around you’re going to have patches of ice that might prove dangerous to visitors. Low spots in your parking lot, when unaddressed, can also lead to the development of potholes, which means that it’s important to have these spots re-graded so that water runs off them instead of to them. In extreme cases, or in advanced ones, you may even need additional drainage installed to fix the problem.
Don’t Rest On Your Laurels
Business owners and property managers always have a lot on their mind. As a result, it’s easy to let the state of your parking lot slip from your consciousness. Yet without proactive maintenance at all times of the year, you risk turning a small, easily fixed issue into one that’s possibly big and expensive. Do yourself a favor and spend some time thinking about commercial asphalt maintenance before it’s too late!