Asphalt is renowned as the most popular parking lot paving material. Here are 3 common causes of asphalt parking lot breakdowns. Read more!
Asphalt is renowned across Ontario and the world as being the most popular parking lot paving material. For example, a whopping 85 percent of all parking lots in America are paved with asphalt.
Why? Because asphalt offers a plethora of notable benefits that other paving options just can’t beat. It is 100% recyclable, much safer thanks to its drainage properties and smoothness, installed easily and quickly, durable and long-lasting (up to 30 years if well-maintained), easily maintained and repaired, able to melt snow and ice through heat absorption, and the list goes on.
However, no material is safe from the test of time and our worst weather. As parking lots take a beating, even asphalt will break down over years of use.
If your asphalt paving parking lot is starting to breakdown, here are three causes that may be the culprit!
#1 Weather
Exposure to the elements is notorious for causing all manners of materials to deteriorate over time – and asphalt is no exception.
The onslaught of the sun’s UV rays takes its toll over time, penetrating and breaking down the binder that holds asphalt’s constituents together. This causes your asphalt to deteriorate over time. The freeze-thaw cycles of our winters also cause issues over the years. As water seeps into asphalt’s porous surface, it freezes and expands, making the crack worse. As temperatures rise, it thaws, and the process repeats.
And there’s no escaping the weather. The best way to protect your asphalt parking lot from our worst weather is through professional preventative maintenance services.
#2 Weight
Parking lots are constantly bombarded with heavy delivery trucks, vehicles, machinery, and so on. Although asphalt is famous for withstanding heavyweights, the daily stream of heavy vehicles will cause it to break down eventually. And once a crack or divot appears, any heavyweight will make it worse. Luckily, because asphalt is recycled and reused, any compromised areas are quickly and easily repaired before they become worse.
#3 Neglect
Asphalt may only require minimal maintenance, but that doesn’t mean none at all. Parking lots suffer through daily wear and tear, and neglecting to maintain the asphalt will shorten its lifespan and reduce its durability.
If you forego seal coating your parking lot every three years or repairing damaged areas, breakdowns will happen earlier than expected. It won’t withstand the weather for as long and damaged areas will be made worse by heavy vehicle traffic.
If you ignore small problems to cut costs, you will pay the price in lengthy, expensive repair efforts across the entire parking lot.
After almost 50 years in the asphalt paving business, the contractors at C Aurora Paving have seen and solved it all. Whether your ancient asphalt paving parking lot is breaking down or you’re looking for ways to prevent it, we’ve got years of experience and the expertise you need.
Contact us today to discuss your needs and book an estimate – on the house!