Asphalt Parking Lot Maintenance: 7 Helpful Tips

As a property owner, you know that a cracked and dirty parking lot detracts from the look of your property. However, enacting routine asphalt parking lot maintenance can keep your lot looking its best and extend the life of your asphalt.

There are many steps that you can take that can extend the life of your asphalt parking lot, and, at Quality Parking Lot Maintenance, we can provide you with several of these maintenance services. Let’s dive and discuss the best practices for keeping your parking lot in top shape. 

1. Keep Up With Regular Cleaning

Every day, hundreds of cars and trucks enter your lot and while you need customers to keep your businesses afloat, these vehicles do add some wear and tear to your parking lot. The heat and frequent rain in Florida also can take a toll on your asphalt. However, the following cleaning strategies can prevent damage to your lot.

∙      Routine Sweeping and Blowing: Schedule regular sweeping or blowing to keep the asphalt surface free of debris. This not only keeps the lot looking neat but also prevents organic material from decomposing on the surface, which can weaken the asphalt over time.

∙      Scheduled Pressure Washing: Plan for pressure washing 1-2 times a year or as needed, focusing on areas with noticeable stains or buildup. Use a fan tip on your pressure washer and keep the pressure under 3000 psi to avoid damaging the asphalt.

Stain Specific Treatment:

∙      Oil Spills: As soon as you notice an oil spill, cover it with an absorbent material (cat litter, sawdust or commercial absorbents) to soak up as much oil as possible. Let it sit for a few hours or overnight, then sweep it up. Apply a degreaser to the affected area, let it sit according to the product instructions, then scrub with a broom or brush and rinse thoroughly.

∙      Preventative Measures for Oil Spills: Place drip pans or absorbent pads under vehicles known to leak oil if they are parked in the lot for an extended period. Regularly inspect the lot for spills and address them as quickly as possible to prevent the oil from penetrating the asphalt.

∙      Tire Marks: These are mostly cosmetic and can often be removed with regular pressure washing.

∙      Paint Stains: Use a paint stripper designed for use on asphalt. Apply it to the stain, let it sit as directed, and then scrub and rinse off.

Implementing a regular cleaning schedule and responding promptly to spills and stains can greatly extend the life of your parking lot and improve its appearance. Additionally, these practices demonstrate a commitment to property maintenance and can enhance the overall impression of your business or facility.

2. Schedule Regular Sealcoating

Asphalt parking lots can last for decades if they are well-maintained and sealed properly. As a commercial paving company, Sealcoating a parking lot is one of our areas of specialization, and we recommend that you hire a professional for this service about every two years. In some cases, you may need more frequent seal coating, but if you follow the cleaning tips outlined above, you often can extend the time in between seal coating.

3. Make Repairs As Quickly As Possible

If you have cracks in your asphalt or potholes, these should be fixed as quickly as possible and by professional commercial paving contractors, as they use high-quality materials and have more experience with crack and pothole repair. Using a professional ensures that your lot still looks presentable even with a few minor repairs. We recommend that you contact us as quickly as possible to seal up small cracks and potholes before they become bigger problems.

4. Edge Sealing

Asphalt parking lot edges are susceptible to various forms of damage due to their lack of structural support compared to the center area, and edge sealing can help prevent water penetration as well as reduce the tendency for the edges to crack. Edge sealing also minimizes erosion and, in general, protects the durability of your entire lot.

Investing in edge sealing can be far more cost-effective in the long run than having to perform extensive repairs or even replace sections of the parking lot. By preventing major damage before it starts, property owners can save on costly repairs and extend the life of their investment.

5. Restrict Heavier Traffic

Heavy vehicles exert a much greater force on the asphalt surface than cars or light trucks, due to their significant weight. This stress can lead to surface deformation, including ruts, grooves, and even cracks. By restricting these vehicles, the asphalt undergoes less stress, maintaining its integrity for a longer period.

6. Improve Your Drainage

We talk about this a lot in our blogs, and proper drainage is so important. Standing water is one of the worst threats to the health of your asphalt. When the water has nowhere to flow, it simply pools up and soaks into the asphalt. Parking lots need to be sloped correctly and have a quality drainage system in place.

7. Schedule Frequent Line Striping

Parking lot line striping can be a cost-effective way to quickly improve the curb appeal of your lot. We can provide this service and we recommend that you schedule it every 18-24 months or sooner if the lines are beginning to fade. Line striping not only boosts the look of your parking lot, but it also helps keep the traffic flowing correctly and increases safety, in general.

Quality Parking Lot Maintenace – Florida Asphalt Experts

At Quality Parking Lot Maintenance, we make it easy for you to maintain your asphalt parking lot. Our asphalt parking lot maintenance services include seal coating, line striping, patching, milling and more. Our team is based in Tampa and serves the entire state of Florida. We have the experience and knowledge to handle any size asphalt paving or repair project, so contact us at any time for a cost estimate for our services.