Parking Lot Asphalt Paving Repairs For Small Cracks That Keep The Cracks From Growing
It's common for asphalt to develop cracks as it ages. Exposure to the sun and temperature extremes is hard on asphalt. Plus, your parking lot gets a lot of wear from heavy vehicles. So, while cracks are normal, they still need to be repaired as quickly as possible. Here's why parking lot asphalt paving repair should be done promptly and how it might be done.
Why Cracks Need To Be Filled In Your Parking Lot
It's less expensive to fill small cracks than it is to repair a lot that has a lot of damage. However, the primary reason to fill cracks when they're new and small is to protect the base under the asphalt. When cracks get wide enough, rain can seep down to the base under the asphalt and cause the base to wash away.
As the sand under the parking lot shifts, new cracks can form and old cracks get longer and wider. If the damage escalates long enough, you might need to replace all or part of your lot, whereas if you make repairs early, all you have to do is fill cracks.
What Type Of Cracks Can Be Filled
Consider calling a contractor to repair your parking lot when you see cracks that are straight, short, and narrow. These are ideal for crack filling. Cracks that are deep and form an alligator scale shape or that are wide or long may be too far gone to fill. When cracks can't be filled, the contractor may need to tear out part of your lot and replace it completely. They might even recommend replacing the lot if the damage is widespread.
How Parking Lost Asphalt Paving Repair Is Done
Cracks can be filled in with hot crack filler so the crack is sealed and bonded together. The contractor has to clean the surface of the damaged area first. Then, spot repairs are done to fill in the cracks. This repairs the cracks and keeps them from leaking, but the repaired area is highly visible since the filler is much darker than faded asphalt.
The solution to this problem is to have sealcoating applied once the repairs are done. Sealcoating involves putting a black coating on the parking lot to give it a dark, fresh appearance. Repairs might still be visible through the sealcoat, but they are much less obvious than when the lot is faded.
Since sealcoating covers your entire parking lot, the stripes are covered over too. The final step in parking lot asphalt paving repair is to paint the stripes and directional arrows on your lot. The fresh, dark surface and bright white stripes make your lot look new, and the crack filler keeps the cracks from getting any bigger.