Most business owners understand how critical it is to offer a safe, attractive parking lot. Potholes, depressions, and major cracks are unsightly, but they can also be hazardous. Furthermore, they endanger the health of your pavement, so it will have a shorter life and require more repairs during its abbreviated existence. Therefore, it is important that you budget properly to provide your pavement with the care it needs. If you are finding it difficult to plan your asphalt paving budget, you might find the following pointers beneficial.
What Should an Asphalt Paving Budget Include?
Your budget should include routine parking lot maintenance and repairs. Since you will not need every procedure every year, it would be nice to include a reserve account for those items. For example, if you only need a procedure every two years, you could budget for half its cost each year.
What Routine Maintenance Procedures Should I Include in My Paving Budget?
As every Long Island paving company knows, there are no universal standards that are suitable for every pavement. Your pavement’s age, condition, past care, and use are major factors that a paving contractor will consider before making recommendations. That said, a paving contractor on Long Island will typically recommend the following parking lot maintenance procedures.
1. Asphalt sealcoating is an extremely important part of protecting your pavement from damage. Sealcoating prevents damage from the sun’s UV rays, and it helps prevent damage from automotive fluids. It also makes your pavement more resistant to water infiltration. Furthermore, sealcoating provides cosmetic benefits that make your pavement more attractive. Asphalt professionals usually recommend sealcoating Long Island pavements every two years after an initial application during the pavement’s first year.
2. Cracks repairs are vital to prevent water infiltration and additional damage. Water infiltration can lead to a weakened, destabilized foundation that can be expensive to repair. In addition, cracks typically continue to grow until you repair them. As they expand, they can spawn additional cracks as well as potholes. Budget for routine crack repairs every spring and autumn. You might consider setting aside some additional funds for emergency crack repairs in other seasons.
3. Parking lot striping is an important part of your routine maintenance. Professional striping enhances safety, helps keep you compliant with the ADA, and improves your curb appeal. Most parking lots on Long Island need striping about every two years. You will also need fresh striping and marking after sealcoating.
4. Depending on your parking lot, you may need to include the replacement of damaged signs and wheel stops in your budget.
5. Sweeping your parking lot can help keep it a safe, welcoming environment, but it can also help protect your pavement’s health. Piles of debris can trap moisture that could find a way into your pavement’s structure. Furthermore, the moisture could freeze inside the pores of your asphalt and inflict damage. How frequently you will need parking lot sweeping will depend on factors unique to your business.
6. Asphalt resurfacing is a procedure in which a paving contractor grinds away part of an existing pavement and then replaces it. Your paving contractor can resurface all of your pavement or just part of it. Most asphalt pavements only require resurfacing every 12 to 15 years, but your schedule could vary. Therefore, you will need to ask your Long Island paving company for a more precise estimate.
If you need help planning your budget, feel free to ask the experts at Royal Pavement Solutions. We are the asphalt paving company Long Island businesses trust for superior work and exemplary service at competitive rates. Our services include asphalt sealcoating, sweeping and portering, parking lot maintenance, concrete flatwork, asphalt repairs, site work, asphalt milling, building maintenance, asphalt paving, asphalt resurfacing, and asphalt crack sealing. We have the skills, experience, knowledge, staffing, and tools to handle jobs of all types and sizes. If you would like to request a free job quote, just complete our online form. If you prefer, you can call us at 844-777-7924, or you can send an email to Kenny@RoyalPavementSolutions.com.
