When your parking lot starts to fill up with cracks and potholes, you’re faced with a choice: repair or repave. Curtis Paving provides both these services, and with our over 35 years of experience we can help you determine which option is best for you. The principal factors to consider are appearance and cost. Here’s what you should know.
Appearance
When you repair individual cracks and potholes rather than repave, the touched-up areas of your parking lot will stand out. The after definitely looks much better than the before, but the end result won’t be entirely esthetically pleasing.
Some businesses aren’t so worried about this and are chiefly focused on whether their parking lot is smooth to drive on and safe to walk on. However, if you’re concerned with your business curb appeal, there’s no question that a repaved lot is more visually appealing.
Cost
Whether or not repairs are cost effective depends on the integrity of the asphalt. If you mend cracks and potholes but then have to re-patch the lot in a matter of months, repair costs quickly start to add up.
The best indication whether or not to repair your parking lot is its age. The average lifespan of asphalt is between 20 and 30 years; afterwards it will degrade exponentially. If your asphalt isn’t too old, then repairs might suffice for the time being. Note, however, that there are several factors that can reduce a parking lot’s lifespan, including significant traffic, regularly accommodating heavy vehicles, and cold and wet climates (when rain or snow seeps into asphalt, it can freeze and expand and thereby cause cracks to form).
There are several other signs that can indicate whether repairs are worthwhile. Typically, repairs make sense when the following conditions are met:
Cracks are smaller than a quarter-inch wide
Cracks are no more than a couple inches deep
Cracks form a straight line
Potholes are small and shallow
Less than 25% of the asphalt requires repair
These are indications that the asphalt foundation is structurally sound. That said, your safest bet is to get a professional to come in and perform an inspection. Paving companies can give you a precise idea of the integrity of the asphalt.
Parking Lot Paving in Vancouver
If you need to get your parking lot repaired or repaved, reach out to us at Curtis Paving. We provide quality asphalt paving services to residential, commercial and municipal customers in Vancouver and elsewhere on the Lower Mainland. Contact us today to request a free quote.