Crack Sealing and Pavement Repair

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Pavement cracks need to be filled and/or sealed to prevent water from entering sub-grade layers. Special rubberized materials are applied to the cracks, which seals the pavement and helps to prolong its life.

Application of pavement crack treatments consist of three basic steps:

• Cleaning the cracks
• Cutting the reservoir if needed
• Installing the material

Sealing treatments are used for pavements that primarly have working cracks greater than 1/8 inch. Sealing treatments consist of creating a widened reservoir to provide proper geometry and placement of flexible material that can accommodate the expected movements.

- Sealcoating, crack sealing, striping and pavement repair. We do it all.

- Filling Asphalt Cracks in your asphalt driveway or parking lot surface will be a very important part of extending the life of your asphalt surface.

- The forces of nature do their best to break down the surface, creating cracks and potholes, which decreases the life of your driveway or parking lot. We specialize in maintenance and repair to help you extend the life of your asphalt.

Call Vaca Vet Striping at 707-592-8331 for an estimate

3 Types of Damage Asphalt Sealing Prevents

Asphalt sealing is an important part of maintaining a driveway or parking lot made of this material. It should be performed every two to three years to protect the pavement from developing damage that could shorten its life span. If you miss this maintenance, you could develop one or more of the issues below.

What Can Happen When You Skip Asphalt Sealing

1. Freeze-Thaw Expansion & Fracturing
The winter can be absolutely brutal on asphalt, particularly due to the freeze-thaw cycle. This occurs when water seeps down into the pavement, freezes, and expands — resulting in cracks. As the water thaws, it will then creep even deeper into the material, repeating this process and leading to numerous fractures. Asphalt sealing prevents this by covering any small cracks in the material and keeping water out year-round.

2. Sun Drying
asphalt sealing cookeville tnWhen the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays beat down on asphalt, they damage it in a way similar to how they affect your skin. The chemical bonds in the pavement begin to deteriorate, leading to cracks and other damage on the surface. Asphalt sealing prevents this by covering the blacktop in anti-oxidation additives and other aggregates that act as a barrier.

3. Surface Softening
Since asphalt pavement is predominantly used by vehicles, it will most likely experience some auto fluid spills. When oil, gas, and similar liquids fall onto the surface, they will be absorbed by the asphalt and cause it to soften. While these spills can be easily cleaned up in most cases, overtime they can result in cracks or a deterioration of the aggregates comprising the blacktop.

Article Source: https://nearsay.com/c/516510/215844/3-types-of-damage-asphalt-sealing-prevents

When Should I Restripe My Parking Lot?

Typically it's a good idea to restripe your parking lot every 18 to 24 months, depending on your location and climate. Restriping your parking lot enhances curb appeal and the safety of your customers.

If you own a parking lot, it is important to make sure that the lot is always in the best shape possible, naturally. You want it asphalt to be intact and sealed, and you want the stripes and spaces in the lot to be clear and bright. It offers a range of benefits for your parking lot and business. There are many times that you should consider restriping the parking lot.

Typically, it is going to be a good idea to restripe about every 18 to 24 months, at least. However, it will also depend on the location of your business, and a host of other factors.

For example, if you live in a climate where it snows, you probably rely on snowplows to come along and remove the snow from your parking lot. While this is beneficial to ensure that your parking lot is up and usable for the customers, it also means that there is the potential for those plows to scrape away some of the lines in the parking lot. In those cases, it is generally going to be a good idea to restripe annually. After the last snow of the year has gone, set up an appointment to have your parking lot restriped or paint new parking lot lines yourself.

After Sealcoating

If you have had asphalt repairs and sealcoating on your parking lot, then you are certainly going to need to have restriping completed before you can open up the parking lot to your customers. The sealcoating is going to cover up the lines, so once it has dried, you will need to make sure that you have someone come out to add the stripes to the parking lot.

Keep Up With the ADA Code

In addition, you will want to be sure that you keep up with the requirements from the American Disability Act. This will indicate what you are going to need in terms of disabled parking spaces, and you need to be sure your parking lot is fully compliant. In some cases, this might mean having a striping company come out to your parking lot as soon as possible to make the updates to help bring the parking lot up to code.

What Are the Benefits of Regular Restriping?

For starters, you want to think about the curb appeal of the property. Having nice clean and easy to see lines in the parking lot is going to make it look better. We’ve all seen old parking lots that don’t have lines or whose lines have faded over the years. They look neglected. If the owner doesn’t care enough to take care of the parking lot striping, it typically means they do not care much about the buildings and stores that are in the parking lot, or the rest of the upkeep they should be taking care of.

If you are planning to resell the property, not painting the strips and improving that curb appeal is going to hurt the resale value. It might seem like a small thing, but it is very important. It will help to show that the business is well cared for, and that can help to make getting a sale easier.

In addition, there is a safety factor that you have to think about when it comes to the parking lot. If the parking lot has not properly been striped, it means that people are not going to know where to park properly, and this can cause confusion and an element of danger in the parking lot. You need to have clear parking spots and directional lines in your parking lot for the safety of the vehicles and drivers, as well as pedestrians that are walking through the parking lot.

And if you've ever been in a parking lot in a snowstorm, you know that not being able to see the parking lot lines means people put a lot of space between their cars and you get fewer of them in a lot. If you have a busy business, using every parking space affects your bottom line: make it clear to your customers where they can park.

High traffic parking areas often add reflective glass beads in the stripes, which are going to be easier to see in the evening when headlights hit them. These can add an extra layer of safety, and they can be a nice solution for many types of parking lots, including airports and hospitals.

Get In Touch With Professionals Or Do It Yourself

Now that you know why and when you should be restriping your parking lot, it is time to get in touch with a company that can take care of the restriping for you. Always make sure that you are dealing with professionals who have the right equipment and who understand ADA compliancy. Many times, the same company that you hire to take care of the asphalt repair and the sealcoating will be able to offer the restriping services you need. It could be a good idea to have one company that can take care of everything needed for your parking lot.

Article Source: https://blog.asphaltkingdom.com/when-to-restripe-parking-lot

Sealcoating FAQs

Making an educated decision about maintaining your facility's asphalt surfaces can help prevent you from paying too much, getting a poor quality job and making a bad decision. Here are some commonly asked questions about seal coating commercial asphalt:

What if the price is too good to pass up?

Although a low price bid may be tempting, making an impulsive decision based solely on price can cost you later. Save money by hiring a reputable, paving or seal coating contractor. Make sure the company is well established - do they have a local address, a well-developed website and references? Also, it doesn't hurt to get several bids and check each company out thoroughly. Be sure to keep in mind, you usually get what you pay for!

Should we have this sealant applied every year?

No! Although many paving companies may lead you to believe that you should seal coat every year, seal coating your asphalt too much can lead to problems. The first two coats of sealer applied to your asphalt are what protect it. Additional coats are usually just for cosmetic purposes.

Should we seal our asphalt in the summer?

It is not appropriate to seal coat asphalt in hot weather. The sealer will dry too quickly causing it to peel, flake or get streaks in the finish. If the job needs to be done in hot temperatures, above 90 degrees, a good paving contractor will spray the surface with a light mist of water to cool the asphalt before applying the seal coat. Doing so will cool the surface considerably. Ideal temperatures to apply seal coat are between sixty and ninety degrees.

Can we just seal coat asphalt pavement ourselves?

Adding up the total costs of undertaking this project will give you the answer to this question. Basically, it's going to end up costing you more and you more than likely will not be thrilled with the results. Not only will sealer, sold by the pail, cost as much as five times more at local improvement stores, it is not the high quality as professionally mixed commercial sealer. Tools are often expensive and may not be of professional grade to perform the task properly. Prior to seal coating, the surface must be cleaned - a leaf blower and a hose won't give the professional results of a commercial blower and washer. Add in your labor time, and the fact that you'll probably ruin your shoes, shirt, pants and gloves - it really adds up. Using a professional, paving and seal coating company will only cost you a few dollars more that it would to do it yourself, and you'll be much more satisfied with the job when complete.

A well-paved asphalt surface can last 20-40 years if maintained at proper intervals. Save money by hiring a reputable, paving or sealing contractor. They can develop a strategy to maintain your pavement. Spending a little more now, can save you a lot down the road.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7345709

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.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3618664

Asphalt Pavement Maintenance Planning

Do you have an asphalt maintenance plan in place for your facility? As asphalt surfaces age, erode and become brittle, proper periodic assessment and treatments are essential in maintaining a quality surface and infrastructure. The appropriate course of action can save time and money by making sure the maintenance applications are matched to the severity of the pavement problems.

Understanding Defects

There are typically three types of asphalt failures: Surface, Bond, and Structural Failures. For surface failures, there can be raveling, and transverse or longitudinal cracking problems. Raveling is the loss of aggregate from the surface as a result of abrading action from wheels. Longitudinal cracks run in the direction of traffic and transverse cracks are 90 degrees to longitudinal cracks. Longitudinal cracks are typically caused by shrinkage.

Bonding failures are usually in the form of slippage between two layers of surfacing causing cracks in the upper layer. In some cases the combination of bonding and crack failures causes the top layer to flake off in chunks.

The most severe defects are structural cracking which can include fatigue cracking and rutting. Fatigue cracking results from the surface being flexed up and down from heavy loads going by. The cracks are very close together and look like an alligator's skin. This defect occurs when the underlying road section can no longer support the loads being applied to the pavement. One heavy truck can flex and damage a road more than thousands of cars passing over the same spot. Rutting is a depression of the pavement in the wheel path and is usually continuous throughout the pavement. It can occur in just the asphalt layer or throughout the entire infrastructure of asphalt, base, and soil.

Types of Treatments

The different types of actions one can choose will vary with the defects and extent of damage found on the pavement surface. The potential solutions can include surface seal coats, crack filling, slurry seals, selective dig-outs and patching, or full overlays.

Within the use of surface seal coats, there are several to choose from. They include slurry, cape, micro-surfacing, fog, and rubberized chip seals to name a few. A fog seal contains no aggregate or sand and is spray applied to keep the surface aggregate in place. A surface seal coat is a mixture of sand and asphalt emulsion with other fillers. It provides a uniform black surface and protects from UV damage and reduces water intrusion. A slurry seal consists of emulsified asphalt binder, a graded fine aggregate additive, and water and is applied by machines with pressure.

An overlay is used over the top of an existing pavement surface to strengthen and protect the original structure. It can be applied at various thicknesses and also can be rubberized. Sometimes milling is required before the overlay when excessive heights are an issue to prevent any potential trip hazards. Also, the use of paving grids and fabrics over the top of an existing cracked pavement can provide additional strength and water intrusion protection.

Choosing a Plan of Action

Parking lots primarily utilize asphalt seal coats, slurry seals and sand seals. These seals are designed for use in areas that will have constant turning forces. The oils are harder than chip and cape seal oils and lessen tire marking on the pavement.

Streets generally utilize slurry, chip, cape seals or micro-surfacing. These treatments vary depending on the conditions of the road. Crack filling and dig-out repairs must be completed prior to the placement of the surface treatments to obtain the maximum performance life.

So you can see there are various failures modes from minor surface issues to major structural failures and there are a wide variety of treatments to deal with them. Plus following an overall maintenance plan through the lifecycle of the pavement will help prevent early failure and maintain the asset through its expected lifetime. The best way to get started is to have an asphalt engineering firm or quality asphalt contractor assess your situation and provide guidance on what the most economical course of action would be for your situation.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6487623

Why Should Business Owners Maintain Their Commercial Parking Lots?

For many individuals, one of the most primary concerns when going to any type of commercial establishment is the overall condition of the parking lot. When the commercial parking lot is neglected or not properly maintained, it can present health and safety hazards. One of the most serious health risks that come with a poorly maintained car park is the environmental pollutants that might accumulate in the area. For this reason, business owners need to realize that clients and customers prefer to choose a car park that is properly maintained, well-kept, and are not isolated.

There are a lot of reasons why it is crucial to ensure that the facility maintains the proper upkeep of their outdoor areas. This article lists the importance of maintaining the parking area of commercial establishments.

Prevent Serious Health Hazards

Parking areas that are covered, such as those located in the basement or underground, should be properly ventilated and cleaned regularly. Engines emit smoke that can pose serious health risks, especially if the smoke is kept within an enclosed area. The solid particles from the emission will settle on the floor as particulates. These particulates can contain toxic substances.

These toxic particles can become air-borne or it might be washed into bodies of water. If these particles eventually end up in natural waterways, it will pose serious health risks to drinking water and other aquamarine resources.

Improve Business Image

Properly maintaining the parking lot is also important to improve the image of the business establishment. When clients or customers visit the establishment this outdoor area will be the first thing they see. A well-kept and properly maintained appearance will provide a positive impression.

To ensure that this area looks attractive and clean, a full range of maintenance and repair services are needed. There are companies offering commercial cleaning services that are dedicated to maintaining parking lots and sidewalk areas.

Protect Your Investment

Business owners should also pay close attention to parking lot maintenance because preparing this entails huge investment. Maintaining this area will help maintain the durability as well as the appeal of the parking area.

Keep in mind that when sand, gravel, and other debris stay on the surface for too long, it will affect the overall appearance of the car park. It will also deteriorate the surface of the parking lot. Over time, the residual residue will result in costly repairs on the car park surface.

It is the business owner's responsibility to oversee the maintenance of their commercial property. Maintaining cleanliness in the parking area goes beyond improving the aesthetic appeal of the property. It will help lower the health and safety risks, as well as lower the cost of possible repair and maintenance.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Sara_Schweiger/87221

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8203319

Give Your Driveways a Strong Foundation With Paving Contractors

Paving is really such an essential activity covered under the construction task which can't be ignored. It has its own significance in residential, commercial and industrial sectors. In residential infrastructures, the paving services are meant to enhance the safety, security, privacy and beauty of homes. Whereas, in commercial and industrial sectors these services are intended towards the beautification of buildings. In commercial constructions, their prime aim is to enhance the looks of offices or buildings by adding more charm to its beauty.

In this article, we will discuss about some of the high-quality and eminent professional paving services offered by flourishing paving contractors. Some of the paving services offered by reputed and professional firms include:

Construction of curbs

If you are in trouble due to curb distress or damage, then don't worry as professional paving service providers also offer you quality curb construction under which they will provide you with construction, repair and maintenance services.

Construction of parking area lots

Paving contractors provide construction, repair and maintenance of parking area lots. Construction of parking lots requires durable and fine-quality materials, which are only provided by professional paving service providers. Paving contractors are aware of this fact and that's why use only latest, robust and long-lasting materials in construction so as to ensure the longevity.

Patching Services

Patching is also one of the important activities in paving. It is a kind of temporary repair work carried out on pavements, parks, speed bumps, parking area lots, driveways, walkways, etc in case they are damaged due to some reasons. Reliable and top-notch paving service providers make use of premium quality patching techniques to attain the best results.

Construction of driveways

Driveway construction is also one of the significant activities performed in residential, commercial & industrial sectors for the construction of sturdy, rock-solid, beautiful and impressive driveways. As per the needs, requirements, interests and financial plan of the customers, paving contractors built almost all the popular types of driveways including concrete driveways, stone driveways, asphalt driveways, and so on. Moreover, they also provide driveway cleaning, repair and maintenance services.

Apart from these above mentioned paving services, there are other commercial paving services as well that include curbs, crack seals, road work, patching, schools, municipalities, speed bumps, driveways, parking areas, parks, retail centers, gravel work, office buildings, tennis courts, shopping malls, etc.

What are you waiting for?

Before it gets too late and situation becomes worst, it's better to take help of paving contractors. Go through various web portals to find the best paving contractor.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6720005

Asphalt: Best Choice for Driveway Pavers

Oftentimes, when you travel, you see well-paved roads which make the trip a whole lot easier and comfortable. Ever wonder how these roads are built? Well, it is apparent that most of the roads around the country are part of an asphalt paving project that was completed sometime in the past. It's not surprising that among numerous choices for paving, asphalt is often the top and the most popular option. It clearly differs from other paving materials, such as concrete, simply because it's more versatile and economical too. Definitely, it is among the most common substances in use today. Not only is it used in paving roads, parking lots and driveways; it is also used in coatings, batteries, adhesives and asphalt shingles in roofs.

Like other paving materials, asphalt requires a specific process and skilled workers to apply the material properly to achieve a smoothly paved surface. It is also durable and waterproof in nature. Apart from being a bit messy, it is relatively easy to pour, flatten, shape and finish. It's notable that it hardens quickly, too. Ideally, it is used in regions where the weather is dominantly cold throughout the year. This would prevent the paving material from softening, which happens only if used in places with extremely hot climates.

A good number of homeowners choose to have asphalt in paving or repaving their driveways. Apparently, it is the most economical among all driveway options. It won't be hard to install as well. However, hiring highly skilled and experienced paving contractors can be quite a challenge. Make sure that the company has a good reputation and previous projects which are exceptionally done. Don't simply trust the contractor who offers the cheapest price. Remember that among them all, a percentage is scam artists.

It is best to hire contractors who are certainly up to the job so your paving project can be completed right on schedule. Some of these companies even offer free estimates. Keep in mind that while you're concerned with the job done on time, it is also vital that the workmanship is indeed good. It will ensure that you don't have to repeat the project and you won't worry about repaving your driveway for a long time.

The advantages of using asphalt apart from other pavers are quite evident. Its being cost-effective is perhaps its best benefit. Other pavers such as concrete are also a good choice, but it's mostly good for warm regions. And if you'd rather go for a stylish option, you can have bricks as pavers.

Choosing pavers is totally up to you, but you can definitely opt for asphalt if you want a quality and practical choice for your paving project.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5643794

Your Driveway - The Stages and Solutions

Your driveway will go through a lot of changes from the time it’s new to the day you have to replace it. Each stage requires a different plan of action and the list below will help steer you in the right direction.

Stage 1: Preventative Maintenance

For the first few years, your driveway will only need preventative maintenance, sealcoating and crack filling every other year. Your driveway will stay in Stage 1 for as long as the cracks are not interconnected (alligatoring) and are not accompanied by settlement. Find a good local Sealcoater that will provide a written estimate.

Stage 2: Surface or Base Defects 

Your driveway has entered Stage 2 when sealcoating and crack filling alone will not take care of the problem areas. The driveway may have settled at the garage or curb (very common) or developed spider/alligator cracking or potholes. At this point, you’ll need an asphalt repair to get your surface back in shape. Call an asphalt repair company that can either perform infrared repair or saw cut and remove repairs. Then every other year sealcoating and crack filling regimen mentioned in stage 1 should continue throughout stage 2.

Stage 3: Replacement or Resurfacing 

When 20% or more of your driveway is in poor condition, it’s probably time for a new surface. At this point, repairs are no longer a cost-effective alternative. If you find yourself saying my driveway has potholes, cracking or settlement all over, it’s time to start over with a new driveway. Call a paving contractor and ask them whether you need complete removal and replacement or if resurfacing over your existing surface may be an option. There are certain circumstances that can make a case for repairing a driveway that’s in very bad shape. You may not have budgeted for a new driveway, but have some areas that can’t wait. In that case, just repair the very worst areas to get you by until a new driveway is in the budget.

A typical driveway will last 10-15 years, but this can vary due to the quality of the initial installation, poor drainage, ground movement, and proper maintenance. The key is to find quality contractors that will recommend the right process for your driveway’s condition, regardless of whether they provide that service or not.

Article Source: http://www.asphaltadvisor.com/2013/10/your-driveway-stages-and-solutions.html