Explaining Tire Scuff Marks on New Asphalt Pavement

Did you just have your driveway repaved with a brand new asphalt overlay? Or maybe a new layer of sealcoat? Or perhaps you are a company owner that just finished construction on a new commercial parking lot? Either way, you may start to notice tire marks as business or traffic picks up. Tire scuff marks are a common occurrence to newly-paved or seal-coated asphalt, and for many reasons. Before you pick up the phone to have a word with your paving company, it is encouraged to investigate a bit further, and find out why tire marks appear on newly-paved asphalt in the first place. Continue reading to learn what causes asphalt tire scuffing, and gain a better understanding of what to expect from your pavement.

Tire Scuffing

Fortunately, there is no need to panic about tire marks since they will eventually fade after a few months. There are several reasons why freshly-paved or seal-coated asphalt is subject to tire scuffing, but they can all be narrowed down to five specific ones. If you have questions about any of these causes, feel free to contact your paving company afterwards to discuss them in detail. They can give you expert information, answers, and advice regarding asphalt paving, sealcoating, and more. For now, start by reviewing the 5 most common factors that cause asphalt tire marks, below.

1. The Age of Pavement - New pavement, or pavement with a new layer of sealcoat, is more susceptible to tire scuff marks since it is still soft and malleable. As it hardens, tire marks begin to disappear. Asphalt requires flexibility to maintain maximum durability, but as it ages, it loses this attribute.

2. Outdoor Temperatures - The time of year affects the rate at which asphalt hardens after being laid. Hot weather will slow the curing process, keeping pavement soft and flexible a little longer than usual. And we already mentioned that soft pavement allows for tire marks. This is why most paving jobs are carried out in the fall and winter, when temperatures are cooler and pavement cures faster.

3. Vehicle Weight - New asphalt pavement that experiences frequent traffic from heavy vehicles, like trucks, buses, and vans, is more susceptible to tire scuffing. Stationary 180-degree turns, sudden braking, sharp turns, and trucks with power steering are common causes for tire marks..

4. Type of Tires - The type and size of tires play a major role in producing tire scuff marks in new pavement. Most standard tires can and will cause this to happen, but tires with aggressive tread patterns, steel-belted radial tires, and off-road trucks and SUVs will guarantee it.

5. Type of Asphalt - The type of asphalt will also influence the likelihood of tire scuffing on new pavement. Course aggregate is less likely to scuff, whereas, a thin sealcoat will.

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Asphalt Pavement Checklist for Facilities Maintenance

Most property managers have facilities maintenance checklists for the interior and exterior of their buildings including the landscaping and parking lots. On a regular basis, the items on these checklists are reviewed; repairs are noted and performed to keep the property in pristine condition. In this article, we'll focus on the items on those checklists that refer to the upkeep of a facilities parking lot.

Asphalt Pavement Checklist

1) Asphalt Sealing

Why should I sealcoat my asphalt?

Sealcoating asphalt pavement protects the surface of a parking lot from oxidation and damage from oil, gas, and salt. It also minimizes the need for asphalt repairs by weatherizing the surface which helps prevent water from being able to seep into cracks. If not properly sealed, pavement starts to unravel and potholes form.

After installation, asphalt should be sealed between six months and a year and then approximately every two years after depending on weather conditions, traffic patterns, and wear and tear.

2) Crack Filling

What should be done about cracks in your asphalt?

Each year, your parking lot should be inspected for asphalt cracks. Sealing cracks in asphalt prevents moisture from degrading the structural components of the surface. For asphalt cracks that are smaller than a quarter of an inch wide, sealcoat can be used. However, cracks that exceed these dimensions will require your paving contractor to apply a crack sealer.

To perform this necessary maintenance, the crack should be cleaned of all debris, including loose asphalt, vegetation, and other foreign objects. Once the crack sealer is applied and has set, the pavement should be properly sealcoated for ultimate protection.

3) Pothole Repair

Why do potholes form?

Potholes occur when water permeates asphalt pavement through a crack in the surface. Combined with wear and tear, the soil beneath the crack will soften, and eventually create a depression. Over time, the asphalt will unravel and break down into its sub-particles - gravel, sand, and stones.
In northern states, asphalt patches applied in winter months typically do not hold up as well as potholes repairs that were made during warmer months. Due to the mild temperatures in Florida, pothole repairs can be completed almost year-round.

4) Asphalt Pavement Replacement

When should I replace asphalt pavement?

Often it's difficult for someone without years of asphalt pavement experience to determine just by looking at a parking lot whether it can be repaired or, due to the cost of repairs, it is a better financial decision to replace it entirely. That's where the professionals come into play.

Over time, even a parking lot that has been well-maintained over the years will eventually deteriorate and need replacement. Asphalt experts will analyze the entire paved area for the current conditions. A few other factors that need consideration are drainage, traffic load and any issues caused by landscape - such as a large tree with roots wreaking havoc under a pavements surface.

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Vaca Vet Striping specializes in striping for shopping centers, business complexes, apartments, and private roadways. Whether you have a small job of just two parking stalls or a multi-acre parking facility, Vaca Vet Striping will provide professional and timely work.

8 Benefits of Paving Your Driveway and Parking Lot with Asphalt: Why Consider It For Your Home or Business

If you are a new homeowner, property manager or business owner, or just aren’t satisfied with you’re the current status of your driveway or parking lot, consider the many benefits:

1. Asphalt paved driveways and parking lots increase the value of your property.

2. Customers really appreciate a well-paved parking lot, for its ease.

3. A well-paved driveway adds to the curb appeal of your home or business and is aesthetically pleasing.

4. Asphalt provides a smoother and safer playing surface for children.

5. Asphalt, as opposed to dirt or pebble driveways, is cleaner and eliminates tracking mud into your home or business.

6. The need to continually fill in sunken areas and/or tire tracks is eliminated.

7. Snow and ice melt quickly on dark colored asphalt.

8. More economical as it typically costs less than other options such as concrete for driveways and parking lots.

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Top 10 Reasons to Sealcoat Your Parking Lot Now

To understand the importance of sealcoating, you must first understand what asphalt is made of. Asphalt pavement is mostly made up of rock, fine stone or sand, gravel and asphalt cement which holds everything together and gives asphalt its black appearance. When harmful elements such as rain, sun and snow come in contact with the asphalt, the pavement starts to deteriorate, fade, and become brittle, which causes the surface to have less resistance to heavy loads. Also, since asphalt is a petroleum product, other petroleum products such as oil, gasoline, transmission/power steering and/or brake fluids, dissolve into the asphalt causing it to weaken and break-up its “glue-like” properties. To reduce these types of damage to your asphalt, it is essential to implement regular sealcoating into your pavement maintenance program.

Most effective preventative maintenance programs call for parking lots and other asphalt surface areas to be sealcoated every 2-3 years. Now that the weather is getting warmer, it is a great time to sealcoat. In fact, Mid-May through Mid-September are the best times to sealcoat your parking lot or any asphalt surface areas. The sealcoat can last twice as long when applied during this time, because the hot sun creates the best environment for curing the pavement sealer film. When the sealcoat is applied to hot asphalt, the water immediately evaporates from the pavement sealer. The sun dries the sealcoat film from the surface, curing from the top down. This process “hard bakes” sealcoat film onto the asphalt surface, and the harder the cured film, the more durable and longer lasting the sealcoating job will be.

Besides it being the perfect weather to sealcoat your parking lot, there are many other reasons you should not wait to sealcoat. Here are our Top 10 reasons to sealcoat your parking lot now:

10. Creates better traction for pedestrians and vehicles

9. Provides a deep, rich black color, and makes traffic lines more visible

8. Boosts curb appeal and improves property value

7. Decreases oil, salt, fuel and other chemical damage

6. Seals out water and moisture

5. Prevents oxidation

4. Protects from environmental distress and weathering

3. Increases pavement flexibility and helps prevent cracking and chipping

2. Doubles your pavement life

And the #1 reason you should sealcoat your parking lot now:

1. Saves You Money – Sealcoating costs pennies per square foot whereas asphalt repairs cost dollars per square foot. You do the math!

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Why You Need an Asphalt Sealer on Your Parking Lot

Asphalt sealer makes a huge difference in the visual appeal of a parking lot and the entrance to any business. Driving into a parking lot that has had a fresh coat of asphalt sealer recently applied gives the appearance of a clean, well-kept establishment. But, that's not all sealcoating does! Asphalt sealcoating protects a parking lot surface from the elements and from erosion.

Asphalt pavement is a pliable surface which makes it more forgiving than concrete. Taking years to fully cure, during the first couple of years, especially on hot sunny days, minor scarring can occur from tractor tires and other heavy vehicles making sharp turns. While these dents don't necessarily hurt the structural integrity of the pavement's surface, what you should look out for are cracks. Asphalt cracks can indicate a serious issue.

Asphalt Cracks & Water

If you begin seeing asphalt cracks in your parking lots surface, they deserve a closer look. Water that seeps into asphalt though cracks cause damage. As water runs over a parking lot its constant wear and tear breaks down the asphalt, eroding away the smaller pieces. This erosion leads to a bigger problem, foundation erosion. Left untreated, a small crack penetrated by water will turn into a pothole and into a large repair bill.

First Layer of Defense

High-quality, commercial grade asphalt sealer should be applied to a new asphalt parking lot after the surface cures, which will take approximately 90 days. After the initial sealcoating, a good rule of thumb to reapply another coat of asphalt sealer is two years. This time frame can vary slightly depending on a few factors such as climate, amount of wear and tear from traffic and other environmental issues. In general, when the surface of the asphalt begins to fade, it's time to sealcoat.

Sealcoating does exactly what it sounds like it should do. It seals the surface of the parking lot. Once sealed, water will roll off your pavement instead of soaking into the substructure.

Asphalt Parking Lots Deserve the Best Care

In Florida, with the hot sun, asphalt sealer will dry quickly. In some regions, quick-drying additives can be used to speed drying times. However, in most cases, traffic can return to its usual drive patterns within twelve hours.

Installing an asphalt surface can be quite an investment for a commercial property. Protecting such an investment with asphalt sealer just makes good financial sense.

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Tips For Choosing Residential Asphalt Services

Improving your home adds to its beauty and value. When you are considering having work done at your home, it is always best to invest some time making the right choices about contractors and the quality of work they can provide for you. Choosing qualified asphalt services for your residential needs is important.

You may have in mind a long driveway to your house. Maybe you have repairs that need to be made to your existing drive. No matter what kind of paving services you require, finding someone you can count on for providing you with excellent services and quality work is essential. The company that can offer you references from previous customers is a good way to locate an established, reputable company.

Learning more about the company you may hire for paving work is important to make informed choices. Ask about the company's hiring process and if their employees are trained to use the various machines necessary in laying asphalt. You certainly do not want a driveway that is going to need repairs in a few months after it is put down.

Many homeowners have in mind the drive or parking area they want at their homes. However, bringing those ideas to life takes hiring someone with experience and the ability to work with you about your ideas. Finding out how long a company has been in business is important. The professionals that have been paving for more years most likely has more to offer you from experience.

Job bids are a part of the hiring process for quality paving services. Selecting the first crew you find is not the way to save money or get professional results. Meeting with at least three contractors on your property for bids is necessary to get the best estimates for making a comparison. Be sure you take bids only from the professional that has visited the site and looked at the job you need done.

When getting estimates, make sure you and the contractors are clear on the thickness of pavement you would like to have. This affects your cost. At the same time, being sure all your bids are for the same kind of mix and the same amount of it is important for making accurate comparisons.

Trustworthy asphalt contractors companies will give you a written guarantee for their services up front. You should also look for the professionals that carry insurance. Taking time to make a good choice is necessary for being happy with your results.

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Advantages of Sealcoating

Find out the benefits that seal coat offers to your asphalt parking lot or driveway and what the recommended frequency is.

5 Reasons to Repair Your Asphalt Parking Lot

While a small crack or pothole in your asphalt parking lot may not seem like a big deal, think again.

Not only can small asphalt cracks and potholes grow into more expensive repairs, but they can also affect your liability as a business owner.

In this blog post, we will go over the five reasons you should hire an experienced Clarkston asphalt repair contractor at the first sign of damage to your commercial parking lot.

1. Avoid Liability
As a commercial building owner, you need to keep your parking lot well-maintained to avoid being sued. If a customer damages their vehicle or suffers personal injury because of large potholes and cracks in your parking lot, you will be held legally responsible. It is your responsibility to keep your parking lot safe and functional for customers. To repair asphalt potholes, you’ll need to call an asphalt paving contractor.

2. Prevent Potholes and Cracks
Did you know that asphalt expands and contracts with fluctuating temperatures? If you don’t invest in proper asphalt parking lot maintenance, you could end up paying to repair parking lot cracks. Cracks in your parking lot will eventually weaken the structure, making asphalt potholes more likely. Not only are cracks and potholes an eyesore, but they can also decrease the number of usable parking spaces in the lot.

3. Save Money
Making small repairs to your parking lot is less expensive than having to prematurely replace your parking lot. When you invest in parking lot maintenance, you won’t have to worry about your asphalt pavement deteriorating over time. No one wants to pay for parking lot replacement if it can be held off. If you take proper care of your parking lot, there’s no reason it shouldn’t last for up to 20 years.

4. Attract Business
Nothing detracts from the curb appeal of your commercial building more than a crumbling parking lot. If your business depends on being able to bring in new clients or encourage repeat business, you’ll need to focus on setting a good first impression as soon as they pull into the lot. Customers will become frustrated if they aren’t able to find a usable parking space due to potholes. Potential clients might also assume that the condition of the parking lot is representative of how you run the rest of your business.

5. Increase Property Value
If you plan on selling your commercial property in the near future, you’ll want to improve the appearance of your asphalt parking lot. Potential buyers will judge the property as soon as they pull into the parking lot and won’t be impressed by large cracks and potholes. Buyers don’t want to immediately pay for asphalt parking lot replacement after buying a property. In other words, significant parking lot damage decreases the value of your property and makes it harder to sell.

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Asphalt Paving Companies Perform Many Different Services

If you own a commercial or residential property, chances are at some point you will need to perform maintenance on your parking lot or driveway. There are several things to consider when choosing a contractor to perform these services on your property. Some contractors specialize in concrete and others in asphalt paving and some provide services for both. One important consideration to take when contracting work on your property is whether it is a commercial or residential job. Thus, making sure the company carries the proper insurance. It is also a good idea to check up on the companies insurance, what it covers and the dollar amount of coverage for their policy.

There are two different ways the actual work will take place. Some companies perform their work with in-house crews, and others outsource the actual work to be performed. There are pros and cons to each. When companies use in-house crews they are able to take on projects and assign a crew to the job within their own company. When using sub-contractors, you are sometimes dealing with other companies workload and their scheduling challenges. One of the pros of using sub-contractors is not to have to keep the crews and equipment busy during the offseason or in bad weather. Sometimes companies using sub-contractors just provide project management and administrative services. A lot of times this technique works better due to the many different scopes of work needed to complete the same project.

A good source for finding contractors in your area is on the internet, a lot of reputable companies are normally listed. These companies have information readily available so you can find perspective companies you are considering for hire. You will be able to see projects the company may have already completed. The companies' website is probably the most efficient means of gathering information about them. Using information from this article should be helpful in choosing an asphalt or concrete paving contractor in your area.

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