Commercial property owners are rightfully concerned with preserving their parking lot and avoiding expensive asphalt repair services. The best way to do that is with professional asphalt maintenance services from a reputable paving company. In Ellicott City MD, The American Asphalt Paving Company Inc is the most reputable paving company for parking lot maintenance. Here’s some tips to maximize the longevity of your parking lot.
Top Parking Lot Maintenance Tips in Ellicott City MD
Visual Inspections – Don’t forget to look down! When you’re pulling into your business, pay attention to the state of the parking lot paving. Cracks or pooling water can quickly create major pavement problems, so it’s best to get them fixed quickly.
Professional Sweeping – Did you know, your local paving company can professionally clean your pavement? A good cleaning removes debris and chemicals that can damage the surface of your pavement.
Don’t Wait to Repair – Shallow and narrow cracks absolutely will widen over time if not treated, so it’s important to get crack filling services as soon as possible.
Regular Sealcoating – An asphalt sealcoating is the number one way to protect your parking lot from weather damage and wear. Experts recommend getting them once every 5 years at the least, more for high traffic areas.
Ellicott City MD’s Parking Lot Maintenance Experts
The American Asphalt Paving Company Inc, Ellicott City MD’s most reputable paving contractors, have decades of combined experience in all aspects of asphalt paving, but they’re also specialists in pavement maintenance. Contact us to keep your parking lot looking good for years.
How to Identify Cracks that Need Repair in Your Parking Lot
Spring is on the horizon and it is officially time to begin evaluating your asphalt parking lot or roadway for repairs. And if you are wondering…YES! You should be doing this every year. Unfortunately, many business owners or property managers don’t know what they are looking for on their parking lot or asphalt surface. Our goal is to help you understand how to identify issues with your parking lot that may be in need of repair. By understanding when your asphalt surface is need or repair, you will be able to identify these issues early on and potentially save thousands of dollars in future repairs.
In order to properly address the problem areas on your asphalt surface, we need to know exactly what is going on. To discover these issues, we must ask ourselves a few important questions:
WHAT types of cracks are we dealing with?
WHY did the asphalt crack?
HOW do we fix the cracks?
Read below discover our WHAT, WHY and HOW for your asphalt surface!
WHAT TYPE OF PAVECRACKS ARE WE DEALING WITH?
1. Linear Cracks
Linear cracks, also known as longitudinal cracks or joint cracks, are long cracks that run along the surface. Usually surface cracks develop first along the joints. A joint is created each time the paving machine makes a pass across the parking lot and are usually between 8’ and 18’ feet in width. Eventually, these joints will begin to separate and water will settle beneath surface. During the winter, the moisture beneath the surface will freeze and expand. This will put upward pressure on the asphalt surface and begin to cause cracking. If you see linear cracks larger than ¼” inch wide, they must be addressed immediately in order to prevent further moisture and debris from penetrating the surface, creating further damage.
Linear Asphalt Cracks
2. Alligator Cracks
Alligator cracks look exactly how they sound – like the scales of an alligator. Perhaps the easiest type pf cracks to identify, alligator cracks are usually found in high traffic areas. High traffic, heavy loads or interconnecting linear cracks are the top causes for alligator cracking. The excess activity around this area of the asphalt surface will create a significant amount of pressure on the asphalt and eventually it will begin to separate.
Alligator Asphalt Cracks
3. Edge Cracks
Edge cracks are found around the perimeter of your parking lot or roadway. Vehicle tires may come to rest near the edge of your parking lot and begin to push the surface outward, causing cracking. As rain water runs off the surface and over the edges, it may bring portions of the sub-base with it a little at a time. After many years, the outside edges (especially without curb) will become weakened and cracks will begin to form and spread among the surface.
Edge Asphalt Cracks
4. Sink Holes
The easiest way to identify sink holes is by waiting for a heavy rain and then searching the surface for large puddles (bird baths). If the water is deeper than 1/2″ inch in the center over a relatively small area, you may have a sink hole issue. Sink holes are caused by a weak sub-base or heavy loads. Sink holes are not always accompanied by significant amounts of cracking – at first. If left unattended, sink holes can lead to major, costly issues and cracking. Since the sub-base is the most important aspect of a strong asphalt surface, any sink holes must be addressed immediately and seriously.
Asphalt Sink Hole
5. Rutting Cracks
Rutting cracks are usually caused by vehicle tires that are too heavy for the surface or heavy objects that have been sitting for long periods of time. In order to identify rutting cracks, search for indentations in areas where vehicles have sat for long periods of time or where semi-trucks, delivery trucks or trash trucks frequent. Rutting cracks may look innocent but these impressions can transfer into much larger cracks if not addressed.
Every year we deal with property managers and business owners who have been the unfortunate victims of a poorly installed asphalt surface. Due to budget constraints, choosing an asphalt paving contractor with the lowest price can be very enticing. However, many low price contractors often use low grade materials, do not have the proper equipment and cut corners from the subbase to the surface. When an asphalt surface is installed properly, it should last several years before any major cracks begin to form. Regardless of the price, if an asphalt contractor tells you they are the best – don’t take their word for it. Call around to be sure they are who they claim to be and ask to see work they have done in your area.
2. Old Age
Everything in life deteriorates eventually and your asphalt surface and subbase is no exception. As soon as your asphalt surface is constructed it will begin to deteriorate. The earth is constantly shifting beneath the surface which weakens the subgrade. Dirt and water seep below the asphalt, corroding its properties. Over time trees, plants and roots will begin to evade – especially if not contained. Even if your asphalt surface has been installed correctly, deterioration is inevitable and it will begin to crack.
3. Heavy Loads/High Traffic
Heavy loads and high traffic can take an enormous toll on an asphalt surface. If the surface has undergone a tremendous amount of pressure – it will begin to crack. Often times, paving contractors fail to plan for areas that are meant to withstand heavy loads and high traffic. If you have major deliveries, large trucks or heavy equipment driving on your asphalt surface regularly, you have a much higher chance of seeing large cracks develop.
Cracks are typically filled using hot rubberized crack sealant. Hot rubberized crack sealant protects the gaps in your surface from the elements and helps to maintain the bond. In many cases, if the cracks are too large for hot rubberized crack sealant, patching may be necessary.
However, every situation is different. The best solution to your issues is always to call an asphalt paving contractor (or two) that you trust! Most asphalt paving companies are more than happy to come out, walk your parking lot, and offer a solution that is right for you. Preventative maintenance is key with any asphalt surface. You should have your surface evaluated by an asphalt professional every year to identify issues and help you plan for future repairs. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Say no to cracks as soon as they appear and save thousands of dollars in major repairs!
A comprehensive guide for evaluating, budgeting, planning and taking action
What is asphalt maintenance and how is it beneficial to me?
Asphalt Maintenance is the process of preserving your asphalt surface in order to maximize its life span. If implemented correctly, an asphalt maintenance plan will save you thousands of dollars in future repairs and keep your parking lot (or other asphalt surface) looking up to par. We will guide you thru the process from evaluating the current state of your asphalt surface to budgeting and implementing a comprehensive maintenance plan.
PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE: UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT TYPES
By understanding the different phases of asphalt maintenance, you will be able to evaluate and budget accordingly. This is also a measure of urgency. There are three main types of asphalt maintenance:
1. Preventative Parking Lot Maintenance $ – keeps problems from emerging (not urgent)
Seal Coating
Minor Crack Fill
Line Striping
Minor Patching
2. Corrective Parking Lot Maintenance $$ – corrects problems that have emerged (urgent)
Major Crack Filling
Pot Hole Repair
Sink Hole Repair
Patch Repair
Spot Mill & Overlay
3. Major Asphatl Repairs vs Rip Out & Replace
Major Patch Repair
Asphalt Milling & Overlay
Paving Fabric
Remove & Replace
Preventative Maintenance is used to keep problems from emerging, while Corrective Maintenance corrects problems that have already emerged. Preventative Maintenance should be done routinely, whereas Corrective Maintenance is done on an as needed basis. If Preventative Maintenance is done properly, it should keep the costlier Corrective Maintenance issues from arising. Eventually, the asphalt surface will corrode entirely and Major Repairs will be necessary. These repairs are necessary and can be very costly, especially if an asphalt maintenance budget has not been implemented.
EVALUATING FOR ASPHALT MAINTENANCE
The best time to evaluate your surface is in the Spring and Fall. By evaluating in the Fall, you will be able to start budgeting for the coming year’s repairs and have a good idea of what types of maintenance need to be done. If there are issues which need Corrective Maintenance, you will still have time for emergency repairs before winter arrives. The most important evaluation is in the Spring. Since you have already been budgeting for future repairs since Fall, you can now begin to collect estimates and identify any other issues that may have been created over the winter.
PLANNING FOR ASPHALT MAINTENANCE
Once evaluated, it is time to make a list of items by order of importance and start planning which items to take action on. Corrective Maintenance issues should be at the top of your list. These are issues that if left unattended could create further damage to your surface or even worse, safety issues. Preventative Maintenance items should already be on your list since these are things that should be done routinely. Once you have established a list by order of importance, it is time to create a budget.
Budgeting can be a very complicated task, especially when you have no idea of what repairs may cost. To help you figure out how much to save, we have developed a few budgeting tools that will get you started in the right direction.
Preventative Maintenance (2-5 years) = Total Square Yards x $2.00
Corrective maintenance (2-5 years) = Total Square Yards x $5.00
Future Major Repairs (15-30 years) = Total Square Yards x $20.00
Every situation is different and may require significantly more funds depending upon the size of your parking lot, the amount of vehicle traffic, or exposure to harsh environments. However, we recommend using these formulas as a good starting point for allocating funds to parking lot repairs.
TAKE ACTION
You have evaluated your lot each Spring and Fall, and have been budgeting over a period of time for maintenance. Now you are ready to take action! Early in the spring, call an asphalt paving contractor, or contractors, that you trust and have the surface evaluated by a professional. We recommend getting three bids. Lastly, seal the deal. Remember, always use the paving contractor that you trust – not the one with the best price.
WE CAN HELP YOU SETUP A COMPREHENSIVE ASPHALT MAINTENANCE PLAN
If you follow our Comprehensive Asphalt Maintenance Plan, we are confident that you will increase the life of your asphalt significantly, and will always have the funds to make costly repairs when necessary. Start now!
Need an asphalt paving contractor in the greater Baltimore/DC area? The American Asphalt Paving Company is here to help. Call us now for a free evaluation of your asphalt paving surface! 410-477-4406
