Choose an Asphalt Paving Company With Proven Experience

If you have asphalt paving needs, make sure you are working with a quality contractor who is familiar with the type of project you have. Whether it's a parking lot for your business or your home's driveway, consider the company's experience, references, and policies when making your decision.

Experience

Companies with significant years of experience in asphalt paving will know the way to handle the asphalt for your specific location, the weather conditions, and your project. Services may include paving, sealcoating, and resurfacing, so select a company that has a history of providing the particular service you require. Most reputable firms will want to visit the site to actually see the project area in order to assess the soil quality, grading, and other physical characteristics of the area that may impact the cost and time required to complete the project. In the case of sealcoating or resurfacing, they will want to see the number of cracks and repairs needed.

Besides looking at the number of years they have been in business, also check if they have been in the specific area for some time. You'll want a company that is familiar with the temperature and other weather trends in the specific area so they can better predict the amount of time needed for a project.

References

A quality asphalt paving company will provide you with references from previous jobs. You should ask for at least three, making sure the jobs are similar to the one you are planning. When talking with references, consider the following questions:

- What kind of project was done?

- What time of year was it? Do you think that was a good time for the job?

- Did they complete the job on time and on budget? If not, were there good reasons, such as weather delays?

- Do you believe the cost was worth the quality of work?

- Would you call on this company for a similar project?
Policies

Many asphalt paving companies will be glad to give you a free estimate on your project. Find out the factors that affect the estimate so that you can be prepared for an increase (or decrease) in the final project cost. You will need to know their policy for payment, such as partial payment before, during, and at the completion of the project. Also find out if they offer any kind of satisfaction guarantee for all or part of the purchase price.

Take the time to choose a quality, experienced firm for your next asphalt paving project.

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Asphalt Paving and Sealcoating - The Hard Facts of Asphalt Repair

Asphalt Pavement begins to deteriorate as soon as it is laid down. Fuel and lubricants dissolve it, water softens it and sunlight accelerates oxidation to break down the binder. Unsealed blacktop can lose half its thickness in twenty years.

Within a year or so, the original black color begins to pale. The binder asphalt begins to lose plasticity. Hairline cracks form. After five years the entire thickness has oxidized and become brittle. The color is light gray. By the eighth year, cracks extend clear through the pavement. Material is loose on the top. The base fails as water soaks through. Within a year or so, areas with alligatoring cracks become potholes. After fifteen years, the entire surface will have broken up.

DOES YOUR ASPHALT PARKING LOT NEED REPAIRING?

"IMPORTANT REPAIR TIPS"

When was the last time that you thought about your asphalt parking lot and its upkeep? This is the same place where you park your car everyday and the entrance to your home or office. It is a known fact that first impressions are lasting and this is true for your clients or friends when they drive into your parking lot. They are either encouraged to come and visit you or turn around and drive away, depending on the look of your surroundings and yes, this includes your parking lot!

We will first start with a few statistics of asphalt parking lot upkeep. If your asphalt is sealcoated every three years, it will have an average life span of thirty years! If your asphalt is not sealcoated, it will have an average life span of fifteen years. Asphalt repairs can cost as much as much as $6.00 per square foot. Sealcoat can be applied for as little as 8 cents per square foot. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that sealcoating your asphalt every three years prevents major repair costs in future years.
To determine if your parking lot needs any repairing, go take a look at it. Here are a few signs to look for:

1. Rough Asphalt - Is the surface of your asphalt not smooth? Can you see the tops of the rock or aggregate showing through? Are pieces of rock coming out of your asphalt? These are all signs that you need to have your parking lot sealed and repaired. Excessively rough areas usually require installing a new asphalt skin patch prior to sealcoating so that the sealcoat will last when being applied to these areas.

2. Cracked Asphalt - Do you have cracks appearing in your asphalt? These can be caused by either excess water under the parking area or lack of proper sealcoat maintenance over the years. These areas can be repaired by either rubber crack filling or removing and replacing them with new asphalt depending on how severe the damage has been. Cracks can also be caused by tree root pressure.

3. Worn Stripes - Is your parking space striping and stenciling looking worn? Are the old lines appearing through your old sealcoat? These are signs that it is time to sealcoat and re-stripe the parking area. Striping is the most noticeable part of the parking lot and it is very important that you have a neatly done job.

When choosing an asphalt contractor to do the work, make sure you ask for references to previous jobs that were completed. Call those people to see if they were satisfied with the asphalt contractor's work. Remember, price is not everything! Some contractors use better materials and do better work than other contractors.

As a rule of thumb, make sure that the asphalt contractor dilutes the sealcoat with a maximum of 10% water. This way you will get a thicker coat of sealer- and that will last a long time. When your asphalt is severely cracked (alligatored) and needs to be removed and replaced with new asphalt, make sure that the new asphalt is installed to a depth of at least 3 inches. This will usually give you a good solid patch. Remember, first impressions are lasting. People like a clean and well kept parking lot.
Stop... Think About Your Asphalt Driveway!

When was the last time that you thought about your asphalt driveway (the path that leads to your humble home and the place where you park your car)? This article will give you the in's and out's on caring for your asphalt driveway, whether it is new or otherwise.

If you have an asphalt driveway, seal it! The sun and water are your driveway's worst enemies. If you do not regularly seal your driveway, the surface will become rough and the asphalt will start to crack, causing further damage. If your driveway is older, has started to get rough, and is forming small cracks it is even more urgent that you seal it to protect your investment.

If you decide to do the job yourself, you can buy asphalt sealer in five-gallon containers at any of your local lumber companies or home improvement stores. You also need to purchase a special sealer broom to apply the sealer and a paintbrush to cut in along walls and tight areas. Applying the sealer to your driveway can be tricky. You need to apply it in even brush strokes. When it dries it will look just the way you brushed it on. The sealer will dry very fast so you need to work very quickly.

There is a big difference between the sealers that YOU can buy and the sealers that are used by asphalt contractors who seal driveways for a living. The sealers that the asphalt contractors use contain silica sand and/or slate which allows the seal to last about twice as long as the kind purchased at the store. The asphalt contractor uses a mixer machine to keep the aggregates agitated. Otherwise, it would stick like lead to the bottom of the container. If you seal your own driveway, it's good to do it about every year. If you have a contractor do it, have him seal it every three years.

If your driveway is older and has some cracks, it is recommended to fix them before any more damage occurs. Asphalt cracking is caused primarily by the effects of the sun and by moisture. Proper attention to cracks will prevent your driveway from breaking down further and will double the life of your asphalt. If you seal your own cracks, make sure that you buy a crack sealer that has rubber compounds. This type of product allows the crack to expand and contract without breaking open. Rubber crack sealer will flex with the movement of the asphalt and will help prevent water from seeping into the crack. Always seal the cracks before you seal your asphalt driveway. If you hire a contractor to seal your cracks, make sure he uses a rubber based sealer. (Some do not!)

Your driveway is an investment. The better you take care of it, the less it will cost you in the long run. The best thing about a well-maintained driveway is that it looks great and enhances the look of your home.

Does Your Parking Lot Sing the Trash Truck Blues?

I can't count the amount of phone calls that we have received from irate apartment owners. The conversation usually starts out by the owner saying, "Those darn trash trucks are ruining my asphalt parking lot. There are cracks as far as the eye can see and the ground is starting to heave. I'm afraid that one of my tenants is going to fall and brake a leg." As you know, these are all very valid concerns.

Trash trucks are the leading cause of asphalt parking lot damage. Generally, parking lots are not constructed to handle heavy truck traffic. Usually the base material (decomposed granite) on older parking lots has not been installed or has been installed in a very thin layer. The pavement that is laid on top of this base is only as strong as the base material. This can cause premature stress on the asphalt pavement when a heavy truck passes over the surface.

Think about it! One pass of an 18,000 pound load on a single axle truck has the same effect on an asphalt parking lot as 9,600 automobile passes. What does your local trash truck weigh when it is full of wet, smelly, compacted garbage? It usually weighs more than 18,000 pounds. If your trash truck shows up once or twice a week, the damage load can be the equivalent of between 10,000 and 20,000 cars. That's a lot of traffic!

By now, you are probably wondering what you can do about this problem. Depending on your property, there are several measures that you can take to help repair the current damage and limit future trash truck damage.

The first thing that you should do is to repair the damage that the trash truck has caused. This usually requires saw-cutting and removing the damaged asphalt and replacing it with new asphalt to a depth of not less than four inches. The new asphalt patch should always be deeper than your existing asphalt.

If your trash truck damage is not too severe, you can have your damaged areas overlaid with a new layer of Petromat and asphalt. This is less expensive than removing and replacing your asphalt. Petromat is made out of fiberglass and is designed to help prevent your old pavement cracks from coming through the new layer of asphalt. The new layer of asphalt must be a minimum of 1.5 inches deep over the Petromat for maximum effectiveness. Since the level of your existing parking lot will be raised by Petromat patches, you have to make sure that water puddling will not become a problem.
After your asphalt patches have been completed, you should sealcoat and re-stripe your parking lot to keep it looking nice and to help keep your patches tightly locked and waterproof.

The second thing that you should do is to figure out how to help prevent the damage from occurring again! One way to do this is to install concrete pads where the trash trucks cause the most damage. Usually this is in the FRONT of your trash dumpsters. The concrete pads I see are usually too small or are in the wrong location. You need to make sure that the concrete pad is longer than the trash truck and is installed where he stops and picks up your trash dumpster. The reason that this area is subject to the most damage is that the trash truck is stopped causing the most down pressure on your pavement. The truck also shakes and shudders when it is dumping your dumpster which causes additional stress on the area. The concrete pad should be a minimum of six inches deep, using steel rebar and 3,000 PSI concrete.

The third thing that you should do is to review the existing locations of your trash dumpsters. Closer is better! Some apartment properties are situated so that the dumpster areas can be moved closer to the street. Just remember, the closer to the street that you can locate your trash dumpsters, the less it will cost you in parking lot repairs. In most apartment owner cases, this means thousands of dollars $$$ in long term savings.

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Asphalt Seal Coating and Maintenance - Find Out What You Are Getting!

Spring's rolling around again, the grass is getting green, the leaves are budding from the trees and the seal coating and pavement maintenance people are out in full force, looking for your business.

Being in the pavement maintenance and marking business for over 29 years, I've had a lot of people that asked me "Is it really worth it? Seal coating you know." Well, that is really a wide-open question, and one that I can answer a variety of ways. Now if you're calling up your local seal coating contractor, or have someone knocking on your door, asking you to seal coat your driveway, you need to be educated about this process.

Oh I know, nothing to this, go down to your local hardware store and buy the product, and they will tell you everything you need to know about it. Or you can call the local contractor and get some estimates, look at who is the cheapest and sign that contract. Well, maybe, maybe not! Remember that old saying let the buyer beware? Or you get what you pay for? Well it is no different in the world of seal coating and pavement maintenance.

I guess you really need to know a little bit about asphalt before you make a decision about whether to do any pavement maintenance or seal coating. First, do you even know what holds the asphalt together or what's in the product?

Asphalt is made of aggregate, stone and bituminous, or in common terminology a type of tar. Well really these terms have been simplified so that anyone can understand them. See the asphalt is just the finished product. There is a lot more that goes into paving then simply putting the asphalt down. You need to have a good stone base, something that allows water to drain away from it, something that is solid. The depth and type of the base depends a lot on what kind of traffic you're going to be driving across the asphalt surface.

Once you have your stone base, then they apply the asphalt. Asphalt may be put down in various layers if you're trying to build a base for heavier traffic, again all dependent on what your intended use may be. After all that is completed, you should have a nice paved area. Then you wait! Yes you heard me - wait, wait, wait! You see, most seal coating manufacturers recommend that you do not seal coat new asphalt for at least a year. And remember you don't need to seal coat every year, even if that guy comes around and wants to do it every year. Parking lots should be done on a rotation of about every 2 to 5 years depending on the traffic volume and winter conditions. Driveways should probably be sealed about every 3 to 5 years.

Now we get into the down and dirty. If the only thing the contractor you're talking to wants to do is make that asphalt look new again, with a nice coat of sealer, send them packing! If you have cracks, they need to be addressed. Yes, I know somebody is going to tell you, that the seal coating material will fill in the cracks. If the cracks are more than a quarter inch wide and this is what you're told, you better get your boots out because it's going to get deep.

You see cracks are the place where water enters the base of your asphalt. This is where water gets in during the winter, freezes and thaws and then causes potholes or bigger cracks. A good reputable pavement maintenance contractor will want to seal those cracks properly and preferably with some kind of hot rubberized crack sealer. And no, it's not the same as seal coating material. Even if you don't have enough money to seal coat the driveway you should at least fix the cracks. Yes I know, it will look like there are all these black snakes all over your parking lot or driveway. But the question you need to ask yourself is if I would rather have this look, or be paying thousands of dollars to repave my asphalt surface.

If you have the money you can still seal coat. There are protective factors to seal coating material that extend the life of your asphalt surface. But your first priority should be the cracks. Now with all this being said, there are times when an asphalt surface is so cracked up, that it is beyond the repair of crack sealing and seal coating. For instance if your asphalt surface cracks look like one big spider web, you may be past the point of crack sealing and seal coating. Or at the very least you may need to do some asphalt paving repairs before you seal the remainder of the asphalt surface. But you need to have a reputable person tell you the truth. There are a great deal of reputable people out there. Just ask questions, and you will find one.

Remember, they should be a licensed contractor. You should not have to pay them before the work is completed, if they can't buy the material up front, ding, ding, ding a bell should be going off in your head! Check the Better Business Bureau to see if there any complaints about them. Ask for a certificate of insurance, including workers compensation. Always pay with a check or credit card. Don't give them cash! Get a receipt and get a written contract, that both of you have signed before any work begins.

The Internet provides a lot of opportunities to become educated about what you are purchasing. Seal coating is no different. Like everything else if it is performed correctly and by reputable people, I'm sure you will get a good product. But be wary of that person that wants to promise you the world, because you can't buy that for free.

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How to Tell if Your Parking Lot or Driveway is in Trouble

Improving the appearance of your place of business, creating a convenient passage from car to entrance for your customers, and removing liabilities are major factors in maintaining any asphalt surface.

Taking care of your parking lot or driveway involves a regular cycle of sealcoating, sealing cracks and, possibly, patching a few potholes. Maintenance should be performed approximately every 4 years.

Be careful when choosing the type of sealcoating to be done. Some contractors actually apply a "homemade" sealcoat produced in their own backyard. You are better off to use a product from a leading producer to assure a standard of quality to get the job done right.

There are also various methods of application for sealcoating. Unfortunately, many contractors have switched to the spray application for ease of work. But the spray application tends to go down very thin and won't achieve a proper seal, nor does it last very long. The "gravity-fed" application is far superior. The sealcoat is actually poured onto the asphalt surface and brushed to a smooth finish.

Plan your budget to take care of the regular cost of maintenance. Remember, once your parking lot or driveway is over 20/25 years old, you are probably going to have to finance the installation of a completely new surface.

Take 5 minutes to go outside to your parking lot or driveway and ask yourself the questions below.

The result might surprise you:

The parking lot at my residence or business shows signs of...

Thin cracks, 1/4" or less in width?

Wide cracks, 1/4" or more in width?

Sections or patches of extensive cracking, "Webbing" or "Alligator Skin Cracking"?

Oxidation, the surface appears dry, exposed and unprotected?

Small potholes, 12" in diameter or less? Large potholes, larger than 12" in diameter?

Raveling, the surface is covered in fine gravel? Pitting, thumbnail-sized holes, 1/4" deep?

Center areas have collapsed or sunk?

Sections of asphalt are breaking away?

The edges of the parking lot are breaking away?

Faded parking stripes and/or crosshatching?

If you found one or more of the problems listed above, your parking lot could be in need of maintenance. Proper maintenance will stop the deterioration and save you a lot of money in the long run.

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Types Of Asphalts Used On Roads And Pavements

Much of what we're able to own or where we're able to travel to is the result of motorable roads constructed using asphalt. Without it, vehicles wouldn't be able to deliver what we need to create infrastructure and the many necessities we require.

This petroleum-based substance is produced in several grades, each harder than the next. Roads are constructed using asphalt grades chosen by engineers to account for freeze/thaw cycles and durability. Let's look at the different forms.

Hot mix asphalt concrete

The commonest type of asphalt used, HMAC offers the most durability owing to being applied at higher temperatures which allows it to compact extremely well. Despite releasing large amounts of smoke and dust which are undoubtedly hazardous to health, it's the only form that can endure high traffic for long periods without cracking.

The high temperature allows proper drying of aggregates which maintains stability and prevents moisture from being trapped beneath. Equipment modifications are unnecessary because the technology is older than WMA. Cost is, therefore, significantly reduced especially when HMAC is applied to long stretches of road.

Warm mix asphalt concrete

In WMA, lower temperatures are applied to maintain viscosity. This has environmental benefits because less energy is used and less smoke is produced, two factors that are commonly experienced with hot mix asphalt.

The greener aspect aside, WMA is relatively easy to manipulate because viscosity is not very high. Compacting is also faster and easier which affects overall paving cost and labor. Roads located through tunnels where ventilation is limited usually see workers being subjected to a lot of smoke and dust. Since WMA reduces the amount of both, it's a good choice when constructing roads in confined spaces.

Cold mix asphalt

Where WMA and HMAC need to be mixed and applied under heat, cold mix asphalt eliminates the necessity of high temperatures. Soapy water is instead used to emulsify the asphalt. The end result, though suitable for patching HMAC, is not designed to withstand the daily grind of vehicles. As such, it's best applied on low traffic roads such as service roads and residential driveways.

Stone mastic asphalt

Also called stone-matrix asphalt, SMA is ideal for high traffic roads, residential streets and even roofs. It has a lower bitumen content with aggregates making up the chunk of the percentage.

No equipment modification is required for laying SMA though it has some limitations. Increased mixing time, material cost and initial low friction must be contended with. The low friction is a result of the binder film which, incidentally, is removed over time to increase friction.

Cut-back asphalt concrete

Considered to be the least environmentally friendly form, cut-back asphalt sees the binder dissolved in kerosene to reduce viscosity and make it easier to work with. The pollution generated is very high so it's no longer used in certain countries.

Despite being a widely used material, asphalt is hazardous to health through fumes and skin contact. However, road contractors and engineers make sure workers don full protective gear during the mixing and application phases to greatly minimize adverse effects.

No other material has proven to be so durable for roads as asphalt. So inspite of the health hazards it will continue to be the material of choice for as long as a substitute equaling it in strength and longevity is found. It's also 100 percent recyclable, an extremely important factor where environmental benefits and cost-effectiveness are concerned.

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Parking Lot Striping and Maintenance Increases Customer Safety

In business, it is important to always put your best foot forward, and that step can start with fresh parking lot striping. Fresh paint provides a good first impression for arriving customers. Faded and cracked lines, potholes, and crumbling chocks are not only an eyesore, but can also be a safety hazard as well. To ensure customers can park their cars with ease and navigate the car park without any confusion, regular maintenance is crucial.

Clear parking lot striping will not only help visitors navigate easily, but well-planned spacing can also help maximize a small area, squeezing in extra spots for cars so that you don't unintentionally lose business. Most car parks are also required by local regulations to meet certain codes which include a specific number of designated handicap spaces for disabled individuals (how many will depend on the location and size of the area). These will require an extra wide border to be clearly marked, allowing for room to remove wheelchairs or other necessary mobility devices. Codes may also require specific stenciling and marked fire lanes.

If the area is jointly operated by several businesses, it can be helpful to designate specific spots directly in front of doors exclusively to one shop. This is particularly useful for quick-stop stores located next to businesses with longer transactions such as restaurants or movie theaters. Keeping a few spaces free and marked for fifteen minutes or less is another way to keep traffic flowing, turning away fewer customers during peak periods. Spaces can be stencil-painted and bordered in a different color to distinguish it from others.

Proper parking lot striping is also a valuable safety tool that can help you cut back on collisions, slip and falls, or other potential hazards. In addition to keeping the paint fresh and direction arrows clear to improve traffic flow, consider re-paving the entire car park if it is extremely damaged. Large holes and cracks can not only damage vehicles, but people can fall and hurt themselves. And if it happened on your property, you may have a lawsuit on your hands. Smashed chocks are another common problem that is often overlooked. Chocks are the bumpers located between spaces or in front of sidewalks to prevent vehicles from moving too far. Over time, the constant stress from car bumps, or even just a single hard hit can result in them cracking and shifting. The rubble left behind can be dangerous to pedestrians and cyclists.

Parking lot striping professionals generally offer several other benefits in addition to their painting skills. Included in their services are often a cleaning of the area using power washing to lift and blast away long-standing grime, a basic warranty covering unexpected fading or stains for the first few months or longer, and help re-planning the area if needed. Most paints are fast-drying, so you won't have to worry about closing off the area for long. Always choose a company that is licensed, experienced, and fully insured so that you will receive quality work that you can depend on.

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Why You Sealcoat Your Asphalt Driveway

Do you own a commercial property with an asphalt parking lot or a private residence with an asphalt driveway? If you do own or manage some type of asphalt pavement you will need to take proper care of the surface. In the long run it will save you time and money. While taking proper care of the pavement does have some cost associated with it, it is not near the cost of having to later fix any damage that has already occurred to the asphalt. If you notice that you already have potholes or large cracks starting to appear, it is in your best interest to address the issues as soon as possible.

The first step in maintaining an asphalt pavement is crack sealing, crack sealing prevents water from entering the pavements sub base through cracks in the asphalts surface. If these cracks are left untreated they will eventually turn into potholes and destroy the asphalt surface and the base beneath the asphalt. Once you allow this to happen there is no maintaining the asphalt, you are now looking at having to replace the pavement. It is important to clean the cracks thoroughly before filling them. You will need to clean out any and all debris. This will help insure the material adheres to the surface correctly. Once all of the cracks are completely cleaned and filled with the asphalt fill material, water will no longer be able to enter beneath the pavement down to the sub base material. By using this technique you have increased the lifespan of your asphalt pavement in the most beneficial and cost effective way.

Sealcoating your parking lot is definitely a great way to protect your asphalt surface as well. Sealcoating your asphalt will help protect against the suns ultraviolet rays and also keep any water from entering small cracks in the pavement. The asphalt sealcoating material needs to be mixed to the manufactures specifications. The sealcoat material needs to be applied in two coats. The first coat of sealer should be applied with a squeegee to push the sealer into the cracks of the pavement. The next coat may be applied using a spray technique. The spray of the sealcoat insures a uniform coat over the entire asphalt surface. Be sure to allow the proper drying time of the sealcoat before using the asphalt pavement. Sealcoating of the asphalt surface should be done as necessary to help insure the lifespan of your asphalt surface.

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Things to Consider Before Hiring An Asphalt Paving Company

The use of asphalt demands specific methods as well as tools. So when it's time for you to repave your driveway, the sidewalk of your business or even a parking lot, you have to pick an asphalt paving company that provides the absolute best service for your needs.

For a number of individuals, choosing an asphalt paving company appears like an easy thing to do. Usually, you only contact several companies over the phone, get a quotation, and then pick the cheapest one. Though this method may be acceptable for many, it's certainly not for someone who is after quality results, or if the work carried out is worth every penny spent. There are numerous points you need to consider before you pick a paving company for your project.

Listed here are several recommendations when choosing a good asphalt paving company

The first thing you want to do is to actually gather info about the outfit. Check the company's background, the number of years they have been in business, as well as feedbacks of their former tasks or jobs. It's similarly essential to find out if the company's license and insurance coverage are legal as well as in good standing. Ensure that the company is connected well for your own protection.

An additional important suggestion is to talk to the individual in charge, or ideally the manager of the company. You would want to speak with them with regards to information about the prospective job like the steps they will undertake when it comes to paving, how long the process will be, and other vital issues that you'd like talk about. This is your chance to obtain information concerning the business and it will make you determine whether this company satisfies your expectations.

Ask for an estimate before starting the task. Almost all businesses will undoubtedly support you with this particular demand. It will most likely help you to know if the budget you allotted for this certain project is good enough.

Ask the company if they provide an all-inclusive service. You won't want to use one company with regard to sidewalks and a totally different one for your driveways or parking lots. With regards to convenience, choose an outfit that can take care of all your needs.

It is extremely necessary to take into consideration the expertise of the asphalt paving company before hiring them. A legit contractor certainly has past projects that they will show off. You can attempt requesting some people who might have been former customers, or have worked with said contractor about how good the end result of their work is.

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Get the Best Deal in Parking Lot Striping

Some history about parking lot striping may be in order before delving into getting the best deal out of it for any facility. Post-World War II economy has made a giant out of the automobile industry, spurred by the government's drive to better the transportation services in the country. With more cars on the roads, better highways, road networks, and navigational systems were established. As part of road navigation improvements, car parks and the need to stripe them became an essential component of the road system.

As consumers navigate the roads more often to conduct their daily lives, businesses grew in the awareness of the importance of car parks to attract and maintain the loyalty of customers. As part of enhancing customer relations, car ports and stalls in business facilities became the norm. And with federal laws regulating the design of car parks in state highways and businesses, adequate space and good parking lot striping became standard fixtures in business facilities.

Parking lot striping is integral to the business because the car park is the first part of the facility that car-going customers commonly encounter, and a good impression of these areas is therefore critical. Entrusting this project to a parking lot striping contractor carries with it a high degree of attention to detail and some careful research, in order to get the best value for the project.

Where to start? From the few simple guidelines enumerated below:

1. Clarify parking lot striping goals. The design dictates the way the striping contractor will work. Facility managers should be concise on the deliverables and expected output of the project. This way, the contractor knows exactly what are the targets that need to be reached, to guaranteed satisfaction.

2. Balance the need for quality over cost. It's a tightrope, but facility managers just have to walk this line to get the best value out of the parking lot striping project. Quality need not be expensive, in the hands of a capable contractor.

3. Think ahead and into the future. The business car park may evolve in the course of time to keep up with business growth. Facility managers must take this into consideration in parking lot striping. Future business expansion, natural aging, and physical damages from constant heavy loads will also cause the car park to change, and the contractor must be able to anticipate and address these issues.

4. Be attuned to cutting-edge striping technology. Innovations abound everywhere, with almost all painting contractor companies stocking up on these technological advancements and products. Facility managers must keep in step not only with what's new or what's hot, but most importantly, what's good quality, when it comes to these innovations.

5. Place a premium on knowledge, skills and experience. It is a wise move to rely on a parking lot striping company that has successfully completed many striping projects in its work history. Hands-on experience is an important factor in the success of the project, and facility managers must consider this as one strength of any potential contractor. Experience can be verified from testimonials of past clients.

Parking lot striping not only assures compliance of federal regulations, but in getting the best deal with contractors in the conduct of the striping project, also guarantees a well-designed parking area for vehicles, to the convenience and delight of customers.

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Must-Know Strategies Before Choosing the Best Asphalt Paving Company

Asphalt paving requires employing specially skilled labor. Some employ asphalt paving contractors to repave their driveway while others hire contractors to mend their business sidewalk or parking lot. The needs are different every time. So before choosing an asphalt paving company, you need to carefully consider your needs and requirements along with your tastes, preferences and budget.

Normally, people will call a contractor and ask them for an initial assessment followed by an affordable quote. After going through all the assessments sheets, they usually hire the cheapest one. Though it may work for some individuals, yet most of them suffer in the long run. If you are someone who is more into quality and always appreciated skilled workmanship, then it is definitely not for you. Rather, you can do some comparison shopping, interview the shortlisted contractors, scan their portfolio in great details, take some recommendation from friends and acquaintances, and then decide on the one that best fits your requirements.

Choosing a service is not a simple task for all and sundry. On the other hand, Yet again, there are people who have come up with some quick and convenient strategies.

Perform a comprehensive research: Make sure you ask for recommendations from friends and family members on the provider. If they have hired him before, ask them about the quality of their work. You should also make a personal visit to the company and make sure they have a good standing in the market. At the same time, ensure that their insurance is in good standing in the eyes of law.

Communicate with the manager: You should take an appointment and meet the person in charge to discuss the project in further details. You can ask him the estimated time for the completion of the project, along with other vital details like cost and quality.

Inquire about an all-inclusive service: For simplicity and convenience, you would of course want one company to take care of all driveways and parking lots instead of individually assigning the job to different contractors. Make sure you communicate over this matter in further details. Such services also ensure that the work of consistent throughout.

Use the best materials for an excellent outcome: To ensure that the project meets the desired outcome, this job should be best left on the contractor. He knows more about paving materials than you do. But at the same time, take note of the fact whether they are using the best quality materials that they promised in the contract.

With all the helpful points mentioned above, I'm sure you will have no difficulty in finding the right asphalt paving company that best suits your needs.

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