Keeping Your Business's Asphalt Parking Area In Great Shape
If your business has an asphalt parking area available for your customers to use, routine maintenance will be necessary to ensure their safety while they are on the premises. There are several steps you can handle on your own to keep the spot in the best of condition. Here are some tips you can use to keep this portion of your property structurally sound and pleasing to the eye.
Assess The Parking Area's Condition Often
It is very important to take the time in walking through the parking area on your own to check on its condition regularly. Start by walking around the perimeter of the lot and work your walk to the middle portion taking notation of any spot that appears to be in need of repair work. Keep a notebook on hand to jot down notes about the condition of the lot as well as a diagram where you indicate where spots needing work are located. This will help you determine how many supplies you will need to purchase as well as help you find the damaged areas easily when you are ready to make repairs.
Clean Your Parking Area To Minimize Damage
Removing debris from your parking area daily will help prolong the duration between the need for damage control procedures. When debris remains on asphalt, water tends to get trapped underneath. When moisture settles on asphalt for an extended time, it can cause cracking to appear. Remove visible trash and branches or twigs from your driveway each day. Do weekly sweeping to remove dust build-up, leaves, and smaller particles of trash from your parking area. A leave blower could also be used.
Make Repairs To Crack Promptly To Avoid Expansion
At the first indication of the appearance of a crack in your parking area, make arrangements to have it patched appropriately. Many will call on an asphalt service to tend to this type of problem so the patch is less noticeable. If you decide to undertake the project yourself, you will first need to push small bits of gravel into the crevice. These can then be sealed inside using a rubber asphalt cement compound. This can be purchased from your local home goods store.
Spread the compound evenly over the gravel with the assistance of a putty knife. The asphalt cement will need to dry in its entirety. It will harden, forming a dark-colored patch. After several repairs are made, you will most likely want to have an asphalt service come to add a layer of new asphalt to your parking area to hide these flaws.
