When they are engineered, installed, and maintained properly, asphalt parking lots can last for more than 20 years. However, like people, all asphalt pavements will age, some more gracefully than others. If you have an older asphalt parking lot, you may be wondering about your options. Your pavement’s history and condition will be the primary factors that determine your most feasible choices.
How Does the Pavement’s History Impact the Options for Aging Asphalt Parking Lots?
Even if they were both installed on the same day by the same contractor, no two Dallas asphalt parking lots have identical histories. Perhaps one parking lot has supported only passenger vehicles throughout its entire life, but the other parking lot began supporting heavy truck traffic a decade after it was built. Maybe one parking lot was repaired almost instantly, but the other one experienced repair delays of several years. One parking lot may have been treated to an effective preventive maintenance plan, while the other one was subjected to the concept of breakdown maintenance. Therefore, knowing the age of your asphalt paving parking lot is not enough. You also need to know the treatment it has received over the course of its life. If you have records, you might want to collect them so that you can review them before contacting a Dallas paving contractor. If you do not have the records, do not worry. An experienced Dallas asphalt paving company can provide an accurate assessment of your pavement’s current condition to extrapolate much of its history.
What Conditions Do Contractors Consider When Assessing Aging Asphalt Parking Lots?
Parking lots in Dallas are exposed to variable weather conditions that can include excessively hot summers, torrential downpours, and bitterly cold winters. They also tend to be busy places that have many vehicles coming and going every day. When contractors evaluate the condition of aging Dallas asphalt parking lots, they usually look for the following things.
1. What is the color of the pavement? Sunlight fades asphalt pavements from dark black to dingy brown or gray. The sun also dries out the pavement and makes it brittle. A brittle, faded asphalt paving parking lot is a strong indication that it did not receive adequate sealcoating. The more faded and brittle the pavement is, the longer it has gone without sealcoating.
2. Is there severe damage currently present? Areas of alligatored asphalt and numerous deep potholes are strong indicators that timely repairs were not made consistently. Both of these damage patterns are usually the result of water that has infiltrated through open cracks and eroded the foundation.
3. What evidence of previous repairs is apparent? All Dallas asphalt parking lots will develop some cracks over time. Crack repairs are not invisible, so they are easy for a Dallas paving contractor to spot. The same thing is true for full- and partial-depth patches.
4. What other information can the contractor glean from a visual inspection? Low spots in the pavement that collect water indicate poor drainage. These birdbaths could have been caused by a glitch during construction, or they could be the result of damage. Rutting, shoving, and other signs of pavement distress can also affect the contractor’s recommendations.
What Options Are Available for Aging Asphalt Parking Lots?
After evaluating your asphalt paving parking lot, a trustworthy contractor will recommend the most cost-effective solutions.
1. Patching: If most of your pavement is in relatively good condition, full-depth or partial-depth patches may be a cost-effective option.
2. Overlaying: A Dallas asphalt paving company can grind off a few inches of the pavement, then replace it with fresh asphalt. An overlay can involve an entire parking lot, or your Dallas asphalt paving contractor can remove and replace an individual stretch of pavement.
3. Sealcoating: Sealcoating is not a miracle cure, but it can sometimes be a highly effective treatment for aging Dallas asphalt paving.
4. Repairing Cracks: Unless you need a complete overlay, it is essential to repair any significant cracks. Crack repairs can prevent water penetration, and this may help you wring a few more years of use from your asphalt paving parking lot.
5. Rebuilding: There are times when all or part of an asphalt parking lot needs to be demolished and reconstructed. Extensive damage, especially if it includes the foundation, may make rebuilding the most cost-effective option for older parking lots in Dallas.
If you have an aging asphalt parking lot, contact the pros at HI-TEK Paving Services for recommendations. We are known for being a trustworthy Dallas asphalt paving company with exceptional abilities. Our asphalt services include sealcoating, overlays, repairs, paving, and crack repairs. In addition, we offer parking lot striping, concrete repairs, and professional parking lot maintenance plans. We serve clients in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan region. For a free assessment and job quote, you can call our office in Forney at 214-908-9641. You can also submit your request by using our online form or emailing Kevin@HI-TEKPaving.com.