In New England, the asphalt paving season comes to a close around the middle of autumn (sometimes sooner than that). When temperatures drop too low, hot-mix asphalt cannot cure properly, and repairs become harder to make. But if you don’t fortify your parking lot before winter, the cold season can wreak havoc on the pavement, forcing you to invest in larger and more costly repairs down the line. As fall gets closer, then, you must prioritize any and all asphalt services required by your property’s parking lot.
Here are four vital parking lot paving services to consider scheduling before autumn arrives.
Top Four Parking Lot Paving Services to Consider Scheduling Before Fall
1. Crack Filling and Other Basic Repairs
Your parking lot might look pristine from a distance, but a closer look can reveal countless cracks, shallow holes, and other issues. While small cracks and holes aren’t cause for significant concern at their earliest stages, they’ll only grow wider and deeper if neglected, especially when fall rolls in with its regular rain, debris, and temperature fluctuations. As such, it’s best to seal up these breaches before summer’s end. Minor cracks can be filled with a high-quality asphalt filler, whereas holes can be patched up. Both of these projects are relatively low-cost and done quickly.
2. Asphalt Sealcoating
Eliminating the various crevices along your asphalt parking lot is only the bare minimum effort you can deploy to protect it throughout the colder seasons. Even if you fill every last crack, autumn and winter conditions can easily create new openings, especially if the asphalt is getting on in years. This is where blacktop sealcoating comes into play. A sealcoat is an additional layer of asphalt that’s applied after the pavement has been thoroughly fixed up. When properly sealcoated, your parking lot enjoys an extra layer of protection against moisture, thermal shock, abrasion, pressure, sunlight, and other threats. Much like paving, sealcoating can only be done when the outdoor conditions are right, so be sure to tackle this project before fall.
3. Asphalt Parking Lot Paving
Basic repairs and sealcoating are great options for your parking lot if it’s already in decent shape. If, however, your pavement has experienced widespread damage, these tasks won’t be enough to restore it, let alone prepare it for the upcoming seasons. At this juncture, full-on asphalt paving might be your best bet. Of course, there are different ways to repave your parking lot, depending on its underlying damage. You might simply resurface your parking lot if its foundation is still solid. Otherwise, it’s better to grind down the pavement via pulverization or milling to regrade it prior to applying fresh asphalt. Whatever the case, this project must be done before temperatures drop too low (as mentioned earlier), so don’t miss the boat.
4. Drain Inspection, Repair, or Rebuilding
Many ongoing asphalt issues can be attributed to poor drainage. When water has a hard time escaping your parking lot, it will start to pool up and erode your pavement. With the rain and snow fast approaching, you want to make sure your parking lot’s drainage system is fully functional before it’s too late. The best parking lot paving companies will be able to perform thorough drain inspections and determine whether or not repairs or replacements are in order. At the very least, cleaning and jetting should be performed before fall to remove any sediment or debris that’s blocking the way. In some cases, a full-depth reconstruction with drain rebuilding may be in order to restore your parking lot and prepare it for the seasons ahead.
Don’t Fall Behind on Parking Lot Paving
Summer is coming to an end, which means time is running out for a wide range of asphalt services. Cassidy Paving keeps busy, but we’re always happy to help our clients achieve their paving goals before the cold weather sets in. Call us today at 866-978-9788 to learn more!
