Serving Tacoma, Silverdale, Sumner, Graham, Eatonville, Olympia, Puyallup, Gig Harbor, University Place, Fife, Centralia, Port Angeles, and Surrounding Areas

Sealtech Asphalt Inc
Asphalt Patching, Seal Coating, Striping

CALL US TODAY TOLL FREE!

Blog Post

Maintenance Tips That Make Asphalt Parking Lots Last

  • By Admin
  • •
  • 30 Nov, 2018
  • •

You don’t want to let your asphalt parking lot get out of hand. A poorly maintained asphalt parking lot will leave a bad impression for your visitors and will cost you more money in the long-run. However, there are actions you can take to reduce the damage your asphalt parking lot suffers so you won't have to repave as often.

Keep Your Parking Lot Clean

Business owners can implement a variety of ways to keep their parking lot clean.

Pick Up Trash

Clean your parking lot regularly. When you clean your asphalt parking lot regularly, it won't stain or become damaged as often. Dirt often builds up on asphalt parking lots and customers will often leave trash behind.

Placing garbage cans around your property can allow customers to throw away their garbage, but you may still find some trash scattered around your parking lot that you must clean up.

One reason why you must clean your asphalt parking lot is because debris will prevent moisture from draining away, which can cause more damage to your parking lot. Not only will pools of water increase the number of potholes and cracks, but a damp, mucky pool of water is not a good look for your parking lot.

Drain Your Parking Lot

Make sure that your parking lot drains properly to avoid pools of water. If you have a drain to remove water from your parking lot, make sure that the drain isn't backed up. Clear your basin. If you are constructing a new parking lot, make sure that it slopes enough to allow the water to drain away easily.

Invest in a Pressure Washer

If you have a very dirty parking lot, one option is to hire a professional pressure washing company that will wash away gum, paint, trash and all sorts of other debris. You could also purchase a pressure washer if you'd like your staff to handle this task instead.

Remove Oil Stains Quickly

Some cars may leave behind fuel or oil stains, so you'll want to clean these types of stains up quickly to avoid damage to your asphalt parking lot. Try using a degreasing cleaning agent meant for asphalt parking lots.

Preform Regular Maintenance Tasks

Business owners can keep their parking lot in good shape by following some basic maintenance tasks.

Remove Emerging Tree Roots and Weeds

If you notice any tree roots sprouting out of your parking lot, deal with them promptly. These look unsightly, can be a tripping hazard, and can interfere with the drainage of your parking lot. Any weeds growing out of cracks will slowly wear down your parking lot and force you to repair it more often.

Have Salt and Sand Available

Keep salt and sand on hand for when it starts snowing. The salt slows down ice formation and makes shoveling snow easier. Your property will be safer for customers to use and you won't have to worry as much about the ice damaging your parking lot.

Sodium chloride is the most commonly used salt for deicing because it is affordable and widely available. However, if you anticipate that temperatures will fall below 15 degrees Fahrenheit, you may need to use another type of salt, such as calcium chloride.

Also, make sure to shovel your parking lot promptly or hire a professional snow plow service.

Ask Employees to Rotate Where They Park

If your parking lot will only be used by employees, encourage them to rotate their parking lot spots. Ask your employees not to make hard turns while their cars are in motion because this will dig into the asphalt and create impressions.

Eventually, you'll need to repair or replace your asphalt parking lot. When the time comes, call Sealtech Asphalt. We can repair your parking lot in the Tacoma, Washington, area. We handle asphalt patching, crack-filling, sealcoating, and striping.

4 Types of Compaction Forces

By Admin • 22 Nov, 2018
Compaction lies at the heart of every paving project, whether you're using asphalt or concrete. In the case of asphalt,compaction helps to ensure a tight, smooth surface. However,even before asphalt or concrete can be placed, the underlying ground must be evenly compacted. This process ensures a stable foundation and prevents problems that might otherwise occur as the result of shifting soil density.

Paving contractors carry out the process of compaction using heavy-duty machines appropriately known as compactors. But not all compactors are the same. These machines may differ in terms of the particular types of compaction forces they utilize.

This article will help to further your understanding of paving installation by discussing the four types of compaction forces used to ensure stable, long-lasting paving results

When to Seal Asphalt Driveways

By admin • 18 Oct, 2018
This guide tells you when you should seal your asphalt driveway. Contact the experts at Sealtech Asphalt for their sealing services.

Benefits of Sealcoating Your Parking Lot | Sealtech Asphalt

By Admin • 10 Sep, 2018
Have you recently had a newparking lot paved for your business? Thejob isn't done yet. Consider thesefour benefits ofapplying sealcoating to your lot.

SealAsphalt Cracks the Right Way | SealtechAsphalt

By Admin • 11 Jul, 2018
Asphalt is one ofthe most durable pavingmaterials,and good repairscan help it lastalong time. Read this blog to learn aboutsealing asphalt properly

Why Your Asphalt Parking Lot Needs Patching | Sealtech Asphalt Inc.

By Admin • 12 Dec, 2017

4 Reasons Your Asphalt Parking Lot Needs Patching

Asphalt parking lots may look relatively invulnerable, but like anything else left out in the weather, they can degrade over time. Whether you've fallen behind on maintenance or whether the asphalt is cracking and crumbling because of faulty construction or installation, seeing potholes and alligator cracks appear can be quite a disconcerting experience.

If this does happen to you, you may want to find out what the underlying problem is in order to make informed decisions about repairs. Here are four reasons these types of damages can occur.


1. Weathering

The weather doesn't have any immediately apparent effect on your parking lot, but over time, the damage builds up. Different types of weather, such as UV rays, fluctuating temperatures, and freeze-thaw cycles, can affect the asphalt in various ways:

  • UV rays degrade the quality of the tarry substance holding the pavement together, making the pavement less supple and more crumbly.
  • Fluctuating temperatures cause the asphalt to expand and contract, causing cracks, especially after the pavement has sustained some UV damage and is more brittle.
  • Freeze-thaw cycles attack your asphalt by causing water that's settled in little crannies in your pavement to expand, forcing the cranny's edges apart to cause cracks.

As you can see, the outside world is no friend to your parking lot. Even if this is the only factor causing cracks, you still need to keep up with maintenance if you want a long-lived asphalt surface and hope to avoid potholes.


2. High Traffic

Heavy traffic levels (especially extremely heavy vehicles) can not only cause cracks but also other types of damage such as buckling — and they can eventually lead to potholes as well.

The more customers you get, the more stress your pavement takes, which is why experts recommend that you occasionally have your parking lot re-painted. By repainting your parking lot and designating new parking areas, you allow different areas of the parking lot to take the heaviest traffic, extending the life of your parking lot.


3. Incorrect Installation

You may have inherited your parking lot from the previous facility owner, and if so, you may not have been around when the parking lot was installed. But you can probably imagine how many problems can occur if the contractor did a poor installation job. Here are just a few of them:

  • Alligator cracking
  • Sunken areas/depressions
  • Buckling
  • Slippage cracks
  • Ruts

Some of these, such as alligator cracking, can be caused by other problems. However, if your pavement is only one or two years old and already has alligator cracks, that's not normal.


4. Oil Leaks

Depending on the type of business you have, your customers may leave their cars in your parking lot for hours at a time — and some of the cars may have slow oil leaks. Oil leaks are a problem for you because the oil breaks down the tarry glue holding your parking lot together, leaving the spot unprotected. If they are not cleaned up, these oil spots can actually lead to potholes.

The initial damage is less extreme. First, the oil eats away at the surface of the asphalt and allows water through. Next, the water works its way all the way down through the layers and causes water damage to the parking lot's foundational levels. Then the entire area of asphalt deteriorates, becomes shot through with cracks, and eventually breaks up until a crater forms.

If you don't patch the area before the pothole finishes forming, the damage could already be spreading to the surrounding asphalt and weakening it as well.

Knowing that your asphalt needs patching is the first step towards getting it patched. The next step is contacting a reputable and experienced company  in your area for a quote, so give Sealtech Asphalt Inc. a call today to discuss how we can help you.

Share by: