There is nothing as nice as having beautifully done and smooth new asphalt, yet with the years your asphalt could start to deteriorate, crack, lose its color or even have drainage issues. A properly paved asphalt is made to usually last between 20 – 30 years, but its condition and lifespan could worsen due to many different factors.
Let me provide you some pointers at what consider when you are looking to get your parking lot repaired:
How long does properly paved asphalt last?
As written before it should be made to last around 20 – 30 years, but different circumstances can affect your paved parking lot and have it last less than expected.
Harsh effects such as gas, salt, oil, sun and even the weight of the many vehicles that go through your parking lot can affect the lifespan of your asphalt. Be sure to get the proper measures done on it to keep it well maintained such as patching, crack repair and seal coating.
Doing proper maintenance on your asphalt can increase its lifetime exponentially, so be sure to keep it under well care and in return, you will get a long-lasting paved parking lot which will last a lot longer than was predicted.
Keep an eye on cracks!
Over time, your asphalt could get the so-called “Alligator Cracks” which are cracks that literally resemble an alligator’s skin. These cracks can be repaired via patching, though if left alone it could worsen and cause for you to have to do a replacement of the affected asphalt, which of course is much more expensive.
Keeping an eye on cracks is vital because it could affect your business if a person gets wounded due to a crack, be sure always keep on check if any alligator crack comes up.
Drainage issues:
You could start noticing puddles forming in your parking lot after a rain, this should be immediately looked for because lingering moisture can seep into your asphalt and in turn decrease its overall lifetime.
Having any drainage issue fixed can reduce the risk of cracks, potholes, fading color and many other problems that could arise.
Sinking pavement:
At times, especially if your parking lot is close to buildings and big structures, the base of your asphalt pavement could begin to sink. Your pavement generally sits on a compacted base or crushed stone, this could get affected if water is traversing or being deposited too close of your parking lot.
Sinking pavement can also affect your gutter, due to the impact your pavement causes to what is below, so be sure to ask your paving contractor whether a gutter repair is also needed or not when you are working to have your sinking asphalt fixed.
Stained Asphalt:
Stains in your asphalt are often overlooked and treated as simple stains, but this is not the case. Asphalt related stains are usually caused due to fluids from the vehicles that use your parking lot and these could drip chemicals such as oil, power steering fluid, washer fluid or even industrial solvents which overtime affect the binding agents of your asphalt and reduce its lifetime.
The spilled chemicals may look like simple stains, but remember these can seep into your asphalt and expand outward affecting overall a bigger area than what looks like.
Be sure to address each stain, to make sure you have not only a beautiful but also a long-lasting pavement on your parking lot.
Color fading:
Asphalt is a sensitive material that is affected by several environmental factors. The weight of vehicles, powerful radiation from the sun, oil, and water, everything damages the elegance of your parking in some way. The damage begins when the asphalt’s color starts to fade under the influence of the sun. Over time, alligator cracks start to appear on the surface. However, adequate parking lot sealing can increase the asphalt’s elegance and bring back its faded glory. In this regard, consult the best sealing company in your area to clean the parking lot, fill the cracks, and then apply a generous amount of sealant.
Due to the sun, use and many other factors can cause your pavement to grow darker over time, even turning black. This is a good sign of old asphalt, which can be addressed with proper maintenance like pavement sealing, which in turn makes it look more attractive, increase its lifespan and also increase your property value!
Old asphalt can be more brittle than new, so be sure to do proper crack filling and keep it sealed to have it last much longer.
In conclusion:
Doing maintenance to your parking lot is an excellent idea. You can avoid bigger problems such as big cracks, drainage damage and seeping damage if you keep your pavement under check.
There are times in which you can do preventive maintenance to keep it fixed, but also unforeseen events such as an alligator crack may happen, but this can be easily fixed with the right contractor and of course with the right measures done.
Remember, do not go with just any paving contractor and always get a professional like VA Beach Paving Pros to do the maintenance or work you need in your parking lot!
