Why Repairing Asphalt Is Important

Why Repairing Asphalt is Important? Two Main Reasons

There are two primary reasons why your parking lot should be in good condition.

First, keeping your parking lot in good condition for both vehicle traffic and foot traffic is important to the aesthetics of your business.  A clean, well-maintained parking lot makes a good impression on those who visit your business.  Good upkeep of the physical appearance, including parking lot repairs sets the stage for everything else.

The second reason to make sure repairing asphalt is a priority is a legal one known as premises liability.  Any personal injury accidents such as a trip-and-fall or damage to a vehicle might be grounds for a lawsuit. In many states, all costs from medical care, long-term therapy, and medications, lost time from work and pain and suffering can be calculated into an award. If a pothole or other asphalt hazard leads to an injury, the owner and management company can be held financially responsible for substandard pavement conditions. However, the opposite can hold true as well – if you can demonstrate that attention to timely asphalt repairs has been done, this can help your defense against any such lawsuits.

An Important Lesson About Asphalt

All asphalt pavement is subject to atrophy over time.  The older the pavement, the more likely you will be faced with repairing asphalt in your the parking lot.

Surface breaks of any kind allow moisture to percolate below the surface, where it undermines the integrity of the pavement.  The liquid asphalt that binds the materials together begins to lose its natural resistance to water, allowing it to penetrate beneath the surface. Once this occurs the pavement can quickly fall prey to a number of different types of deterioration including cracks and potholes. Asphalt repairs and prevention will increase the longevity of any asphalt surface.  Sealing asphalt cracks can also be beneficial.

Avoid Costly Replacement

Before you experience a costly asphalt replacement, have an experienced, asphalt contractor walk your parking area and make an assessment.  Keeping up with regular parking lot maintenance, seal coating, and filling potholes can help avert costly damage and repairs.

Whether you are a facility manager for a hospital, shopping center, grocery store, apartment complex, school, big-box store, arena or other venue, asphalt repairs should be part of your parking lot maintenance plan.  It just takes minutes to have a professional paving maintenance contractor walk your parking area and make recommendations – those minutes can sometimes save you thousands.

At this point, you hopefully understand why are asphalt repairs important. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us.