How the Summer Heat Affects Your Florida Asphalt Parking Lot
How the Summer Heat Affects Your Florida Asphalt Parking Lot
The warm summer sun might be what brings all of the tourists to Florida this time of year. But, the increased heat can wreak havoc on your Florida asphalt parking lot if it isn’t ready for the increased sunshine. Understanding how the heat impacts parking lot paving helps you take the right steps to prevent seasonal damage.
Can High Summer Temps Soften a Florida Asphalt Parking Lot?
Parking lot paving companies work with asphalt that is extremely hot when they install parking lots. Once the materials cool, asphalt paving in Florida is solid and strong. However, extreme summer heat can cause the asphalt to soften. When this happens, rutting and depressions become common due to pressure and friction from traffic.
Do Summer Storms Lead to a Need for New Parking Lot Paving?
Parking lot repair services can fix cracks and potholes, but rainy weather can further cause pavement to deteriorate. Once the heat causes cracks to form, rain can seep into the lower parts of the pavement.
As the sublayers of the asphalt break down, the foundation may lose its structural integrity. Foundation failure is a common need for new parking lot paving services in Florida communities.
How Does the Sun Cause a Bigger Need for Parking Lot Repair Services?
While the heat may make asphalt more malleable, the sun’s UV rays may cause damage in a different way. Parking lot paving companies often see signs of oxidative stress in Florida pavement that include brittleness and fading. Applying parking lot sealcoating can help prevent cracks and potholes that often emerge in the summer months.
What Can I Do to Preserve My Florida Asphalt Parking Lot?
Ideally, you’ll want to plan to do parking lot sealcoating every two to three years. In between those services, parking lot paving companies can come out to your property and fill in cracks to stop them from getting bigger.
If you notice pooling water in your parking lot, then you’ll also want to take prompt action. Parking lot paving companies can patch potholes that collect water and resurface areas with depressions and rutting. If necessary, we may recommend grading the pavement to help the water run off to areas of your property where it won’t cause damage.
Created a Detailed Summer Maintenance Plan for Asphalt Paving in Florida
Asphalt Care Services, LLC has spent many summers over the years helping local property owners protect their asphalt paving in Florida. We typically recommend starting the season off right with parking lot sealcoating and an inspection to check for the need to do parking lot repair work. We’ll also keep a close eye on parking lot striping, and we offer thermoplastic line striping for enhanced longevity. With traffic increasing on your lot, you might also want to update the safety features by adding traffic signs, concrete bumpers and speed bumps. If you haven’t protected your pavement yet, there’s still time to block out the sun’s heat. Give us a call at 772-888-5648 or submit our online form to get a complimentary quote today.
