Your property's asphalt paving infrastructure needs routine care and maintenance to keep it in safe, structurally sound condition. Keeping up with maintenance helps prolong the usable life of the asphalt, reduces the risk of deterioration, and minimizes your chances of injuries and property damage due to potholes, cracks, and similar hazards. Here are some of the most common mistakes people make when it comes to asphalt maintenance to help you proactively avoid them.
Not Inspecting The Asphalt Regularly
If you skip routine inspections, you'll overlook the earliest indications of deterioration or damage. For example, surface-level spider cracks or pooling from drainage issues are early indications of problems. If you plan routine inspections, you can spot these signs before they lead to serious structural issues and schedule repairs right away. This cuts your repair costs and collateral damage significantly.
Putting Off Needed Repairs
Once you identify something that needs repair with your parking lot, you'll want to call an asphalt repair contractor right away. The sooner you address it, the less opportunity it has to worsen and lead to further complications. Potholes, for example, can allow water to seep beneath the asphalt and lead to erosion, which causes further cracking and potholes throughout the pavement.
Cutting Costs
Asphalt paving can be expensive, and trying to cut costs is common. Unfortunately, when you opt for lower prices, you risk sacrificing quality and structural integrity. Cutting costs often means cutting corners and settling for a lesser-quality product or inferior material. This puts your pavement at greater risk of deterioration and greater vulnerability to weathering and other damage.
Insufficient Drainage Infrastructure
A key part of asphalt installation is sufficient drainage. This means assessing the drainage infrastructure of the parking area before the asphalt is applied, but it also means considering drainage around the rest of the property. Poor drainage or insufficient sloping on the property could cause water to pool on the asphalt, which may lead to further deterioration and complications.
Not Cleaning Your Asphalt Surfaces
It's easy to dismiss the importance of asphalt cleaning. After all, if it sees traffic daily, it is likely to always be dirty, right? Routine cleaning, including pressure washing, will help you keep debris from deteriorating the surface of the asphalt. Excess dirt, debris, and vehicle stains can actually become abrasive and wear out the surface of the asphalt.
Talk with an asphalt maintenance contractor today about the right maintenance plan for your property.