STOP! You know it's there. You see it every day when you come
into work. You even walk around the crater to get to your front door.
It's your parking lot or driveway, and you've been ignoring it every day
hoping it will go away. I call it "Asphalt Denial". You don't want to
know what needs to be done because you know asphalt paving can cost a
lot of money! You might have already had an estimate that put you in
cardiac arrest and you buried in the bottom of the "To Do" pile that has
been sitting there for 5 years. You might even have been beaten over
the head with the "Fix this now or Else Stick" threatening that your
parking lot will implode and cause the end of the world. You know you
need to do parking lot maintenance, but can't figure out how to get
started and finish it without putting you into financial ruin. You're
not alone. Many people face this issue every day. I have some
suggestions that can get you to the "Asphalt Promised Land".
First, get your estimates. Request quotes that are broken down into sub-sections including asphalt paving, repairs, sealcoating, crack filling and striping with costs associated with each section. This way you can work on a section at a time.
Next, do you paving repairs first. Not fixing potholes can do the most damage to a parking lot or driveway in the shortest amount of time. They can also damage the vehicles that hit them. Typically this is the highest cost in an estimate. If you're on a tight budget, you can do the repairs over several years. Set a budget figure you want to spend, and focus on any repairs in high traffic areas first such as drive lanes or walking areas then move out to low traffic areas like parking stalls. There's a difference between repair and patch. Repair your potholes, don't patch them!. If you repair the holes, the repairs will last 15-20 years.
3rd, get your cracks filled and sealcoating done. This step may happen several years down the road, but it will preserve what you have and what you have been doing the past few years in repairs. Sealcoating is typically a few cents per square foot but makes a difference in the longevity of a parking lot. Sealcoating and striping will spruce up the look of the parking lot as well.
Finally, be patient. This might take several years depending on your cash availability, but will pay off in the long run in preserving your parking lot. Remember, incremental improvements will be better and cheaper than doing nothing. Stick with the plan; keep making progress enen just a little bit. Your lot will look like new very soon.
First, get your estimates. Request quotes that are broken down into sub-sections including asphalt paving, repairs, sealcoating, crack filling and striping with costs associated with each section. This way you can work on a section at a time.
Next, do you paving repairs first. Not fixing potholes can do the most damage to a parking lot or driveway in the shortest amount of time. They can also damage the vehicles that hit them. Typically this is the highest cost in an estimate. If you're on a tight budget, you can do the repairs over several years. Set a budget figure you want to spend, and focus on any repairs in high traffic areas first such as drive lanes or walking areas then move out to low traffic areas like parking stalls. There's a difference between repair and patch. Repair your potholes, don't patch them!. If you repair the holes, the repairs will last 15-20 years.
3rd, get your cracks filled and sealcoating done. This step may happen several years down the road, but it will preserve what you have and what you have been doing the past few years in repairs. Sealcoating is typically a few cents per square foot but makes a difference in the longevity of a parking lot. Sealcoating and striping will spruce up the look of the parking lot as well.
Finally, be patient. This might take several years depending on your cash availability, but will pay off in the long run in preserving your parking lot. Remember, incremental improvements will be better and cheaper than doing nothing. Stick with the plan; keep making progress enen just a little bit. Your lot will look like new very soon.
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