Your parking lot is a key feature of your church. After all, you must provide ample space for your congregants to park to participate in services and other events. Not only must you consider the size of your lot, but its condition as well. If your parking lot remains in a state of disrepair, you put churchgoers and their vehicles at risk — and you also risk losing their attendance. As such, you can’t afford to neglect asphalt repairs. Here are some ways to know when it’s time to repair your church parking lot.
When You Should Repair Your Church Parking Lot
You’re Receiving Complaints from Your Congregation
If you’ve cultivated a strong sense of community at your church, you can expect people to be honest about their concerns and criticisms. If people are having a hard time driving on the lot, parking on an even surface, and/or walking from the lot to the church entrance, someone is bound to say something. If and when this happens, you must take these complaints seriously and examine your parking lot (if you haven’t done so already). Then, in order to keep your congregants satisfied, you should consider investing in necessary repairs.
Cracks Are Growing in Number and Size
While your fellow worshippers may direct you to an urgent parking lot problem, it’s best not to wait until you receive a complaint to take care of your parking lot. For one thing, your congregants might not mention anything (even if they do have concerns), and for another, the best and most cost-effective way to prevent major issues is to address them early on. As such, it’s important to pay close attention to your parking lot’s condition. If you notice even a few minor cracks or holes, it’s worth investing in asphalt crack repair. Filling cracks in your lot at this early stage will help prevent them from growing deeper and wider, extending the lifespan of your lot and reducing the number of repairs you’ll have to conduct in the future.
It’s Been Several Years Since Your Last Parking Lot Repair Project
You can also rely on father time to cue you into your church parking lot’s needs. As a general rule, asphalt parking lots require significant maintenance every 3-5 years (e.g., filling cracks and potholes, re-sealing, etc.). Smaller maintenance tasks such as power washing, leaf removal, snow clearing, etc. should be performed more regularly, of course. If you haven’t hired asphalt repair services in a few years, there’s a good chance your lot could use their expertise sooner rather than later. So, keep an eye on the time.
Winter Is Approaching
Speaking of time, the changing of seasons can also inform which maintenance or repair tasks you should consider tackling. In areas like New England, the onset of winter is a particularly important time for your church’s parking lot for two key reasons: 1) this is often the busiest time of year for most congregations, and 2) winter weather can do serious harm to asphalt surfaces and also presents difficulties for parking lot paving projects. For both of these reasons, it’s a good idea to invest in parking lot repairs prior to winter’s full arrival. Filling cracks and potholes, amending drainage issues, and tackling other asphalt repairs at this time will minimize the negative effects of the cold season so you’re left with less of a mess come springtime.
Don’t Put off Parking Lot Maintenance at Your Place of Worship
Your parking lot won’t magically tell you when it needs attention, so you must stay tuned to the various signs. Whether you receive complaints from your congregants, notice budding problems, realize how long it’s been since your last repair job, or want to prepare your parking lot for winter, Cassidy Paving is here to help. Call us today at 866-978-9788 for a free estimate on your next church parking lot project.