Parking lot maintenance is one of the most overlooked parts of running a business. It’s all well and good until someone drives through a pothole in your parking lot and messes up their front-end alignment.
Even if your parking lot doesn’t trip someone’s car up and give it a bum wheel, curb appeal matters. Your parking lot needs to make a good impression on passersby or they may never be more to your business than passersby! In this article, we’ll tell you how often you should restripe your parking lot, and we’ll also discuss when to get asphalt repair and when it’s time for pavement resurfacing.
How often should you restripe your parking lot?
Whether you own a grocery store or apartment building, its parking lot maintenance is critical. The least you can do to keep your parking lot looking good is to keep it clean and striped. Parking lot striping can significantly enhance the curb appeal of your business and help to drive in customers. On the other hand, an unsightly parking lot might make potential patrons worry about their and their car’s safety.
According to cement and asphalt experts at Semper Fi Striping, you should restripe parking lots every year and a half to two years. Snow removal, the sun’s harmful UV rays, and normal wear and tear will all cause your lot’s paint job to fade. With regular parking lot maintenance and striping of lanes and signage, you can keep your lots looking new and prevent accidents.
How often should you repair your parking lot?
In addition to parking lot striping every two years, it’s a good idea to schedule at least a minor repair job for the concrete every three to five years. You can seal cracks and grooves with a sealcoat. The sealcoat will prevent water penetration and extend the life of your asphalt pavement.
Property managers and business owners can be held liable if alligator cracks or potholes in their parking lots cause an accident or property damage. It’s better to hire a concrete contractor with years of experience to provide regular maintenance to your parking lot than to run into major problems and expensive repairs down the road. Your lot deals with everything from wear and tear from traffic flow to UV rays, cold weather, and corrosion. However, with regular maintenance, you won’t be able to tell all your lot endures by looking at it.
How often should you repave your parking lot?
Of course, restriping and repairing your parking lot will only carry it for so long—approximately 20 years, to be more precise. However, if your parking lot seems to be beyond minor repairs, it’s time to consider resurfacing. The good news is that resurfacing is more affordable than tearing up the old concrete and laying a new foundation. There are many different types of concrete you can use to replace the top layer, including pervious concrete, asphalt, reinforced concrete, and more. Speak with different contractors to get an idea of what the best option is for your lots.
It’s no fun riding through a parking lot where oxidation has had its way and there’s debris all around. Riding through a concrete parking lot should not feel like riding through the savannah. Maintaining your company’s parking lot is as much a part of running a business as building maintenance. Your lot is one of the first things people see as they pass by your establishment, so you want it to create the right impression all the time.
The consensus is that you should schedule striping for your parking lot every 18 to 24 months. You should put sealant down every three to five years. Finally, depending on the type of cement you use in your parking lot, your parking lot should last at least 20 years. However, if you notice small cracks turning into deep potholes, it’s time to repave your lot.
