Parking Lot Maintenance Services: When Are They Needed?

Asphalt parking lots have a lifespan that ranges from about 15 to 30 years. With proper parking lot maintenance services, your lot could make it to that 30-year mark without needing a replacement.

At Quality Parking Lot Maintenance, our team of commercial paving contractors can provide many repair and maintenance services, but what services do you typically need and how often? Let’s dive in and take a quick look at options that will keep your lot in the best shape possible.

Sealcoating A Parking Lot

This entails applying a seal coat to protect the asphalt from UV rays, water penetration, and chemical spills. We can provide you with this service, and we recommend that you seal coat a parking lot about every two years or so. Florida’s extreme weather can take a heavy toll on an asphalt lot, so it’s wise to regularly schedule this service.

Crack Filling & Pothole Repair

Sealing cracks in the asphalt to prevent water from entering and causing further damage such as potholes. We recommend contacting the team at our commercial paving company whenever you start to notice small cracks or tiny potholes, as it’s cheaper to repair smaller issues and allowing cracks and holes to sit can simply make the problem worse and more expensive to fix. We can provide just about any type of asphalt parking lot repair you might need.

Asphalt Patching

This service involves repairing larger areas of damage in the asphalt to prevent further deterioration. If you have cracks and potholes that become large problems, asphalt patching is the last resort. We recommend contacting us as quickly as possible when you notice a small pothole, as the asphalt can quickly degrade and become a much bigger problem.

Parking Lot Line Striping & Marking

Parking lot line striping is crucial for safety and organization, and we can ensure that your lot is designed for maximum usage and also has the best possible traffic flow. We also can provide you with ADA-compliant line striping. Typically, we recommend doing this about every two years. Many clients combine seal coating and line striping, both of which will improve the look of your lot significantly.

Asphalt Milling & Asphalt Overlay

Asphalt overlay is when we add a new layer of asphalt over the existing pavement to give it a new surface without completely replacing it. This is a form of resurfacing that adds strength and thickness to the pavement structure.

Asphalt milling involves removing the top layer of asphalt from a roadway or parking lot without disturbing the underlying base layer. This process is typically done using a milling machine, which grinds away the deteriorated layers of asphalt.

The choice between milling and overlay often depends on the condition of the existing pavement. If the surface is severely deteriorated or there are issues like large cracks and potholes that penetrate deep into the asphalt, milling might be necessary before an overlay can be applied to ensure a strong and lasting finish. If the existing surface is mostly intact with only minor cracking and wear, a direct overlay might suffice.

Both techniques are used in conjunction to extend the life of pavement by removing damaged areas and adding new material, enhancing the appearance, durability, and safety of the asphalt surface.

When do you need milling or overlays? If your lot is in good shape and you address repairs quickly and frequently clean and seal coat the parking lot, it’s likely that you go for as long as 10 years or more before scheduling this commercial paving service.

Our commercial asphalt paving company can provide you with milling or overlays as well as excavation and investigation services. The latter service can be a good option if your lot always seems to be having issues with cracks or potholes, etc.

Edge Repair

Fixing the edges of the asphalt can prevent crumbling and maintain the structural integrity of the parking lot. We recommend inspecting the edges of your parking lot frequently, and making repairs whenever you notice any significant damage is observed.

The frequency of edge repair tends to depend on several factors including traffic volume, the types of vehicles typically using your lot and the weather and environmental conditions. It’s also important to think about your cubs and inspect these structures as well and make repairs when necessary.

Cleaning & Power Washing

Regularly removing debris, dirt, and stains can help maintain the appearance of your lot and prevent surface damage. We recommend sweeping or blowing away debris weekly and cleaning up promptly after severe weather. Piles of leaves and debris can lock in moisture near the surface of your asphalt and potentially cause damage.

When it comes to power washing, we recommend scheduling this service every few months in high-traffic areas. For low-traffic areas, you might be able to get away with power washing just once or twice a year but be sure to inspect your lot and clean up any spills, especially oily substances, as quickly as possible.

Drainage Improvements

While proper installation of a parking lot is crucial, without good drainage, your lot likely will experience a myriad of problems. Installing or repairing drainage systems to prevent water accumulation can reduce damage to your asphalt and prevent having to call us as frequently for parking lot maintenance services.

Keep drains clear, ensure tree roots aren’t impacting your lot and make sure that your lot is graded to allow water to flow away from the lot. Ideally, drains should be inspected and cleaned at least twice per year. In Florida, we also recommend inspecting the drains after a significant weather event, such as a hurricane. Clogged drains can cause huge problems and damage your parking lot.

Traffic Sign Installation & Maintenance

Ensuring that traffic signs are visible and in good condition can help guide drivers and enhance safety.  Often, these become blocked by tree branches or overgrown shrubs, and it’s recommended that you check occasionally to make sure signs are easy to see.

As a side note, installing bollards also can be a good idea to improve safety as these protect pedestrians and buildings from traffic. These may need painting, repairs or even replacement from time to time.

Contact Us Today!

At Quality PLM, we can provide you with most of these parking lot maintenance services. Whether you need repairs, sealcoating, milling or even the installation of a new parking lot, we have years of experience serving commercial clients throughout Florida. Give us a call today and we can provide you with a free cost estimate for our services.