What Happened to My Asphalt Parking Lot?

Do you remember when your parking lot was new? If your contractor installed it correctly, it was a smooth, even expanse with a dark, luxurious color. After years of use, the color is more of a dingy gray, and the pavement has cracks, potholes, or other signs of damage. Furthermore, it may appear that the damage to your asphalt parking lot happened within a matter of days or a few weeks. However, it is far more likely that the damage has occurred over a period of many months or even years.

What Faded the Color of My Asphalt Parking Lot?

Asphalt fading is virtually always the result of exposure to the UV rays that the sun emits. Sealcoating parking lot pavements is the most effective way to block these UV rays. However, you need to sealcoat your parking lot about every two years to obtain the best results. Sealcoating parking lots is also an economical and effective way to help prevent cracks from developing. In addition to fading the color of your asphalt pavement, UV rays turn it brittle and dry. Dry, brittle asphalt is cracks or breaks more easily. Sealcoating also helps protect against damage from automotive fluids that break down the pavement’s binder and leave soft, crumbly spots.

Why Are There Potholes in My Asphalt Parking Lot?

Potholes can result from one or more of the following.

1. You failed to have a contractor perform paving repairs to seal or fill cracks. The cracks continued to grow deeper, longer, and wider, and the damage eventually converged to create a pothole.
2. Water penetrated beneath the surface of your pavement and eroded its foundation. Air pockets developed between the pavement and the base, and vehicles inflicted damage just by driving over the weakened spot. Water penetration is typically the result of either neglecting vital asphalt repairs or a drainage issue. The solution is normally a type of pothole repair called asphalt patching.
3. Potholes can also develop in the soft spots that vehicle fluids leave behind. The pavement in these spots deteriorates quickly, and the particles can wash out when it rains or be removed by traffic. Sealcoating can help prevent this type of damage by giving you more time to remove the fluids that vehicles have leaked on your pavement. However, vehicle fluids are very corrosive, so they will eventually eat through the sealcoating. Depending on the extent of your problem, you should remove these deposits of vehicle fluids at least once a year, and every six months is even better.
4. Overloading is another common cause of potholes in asphalt pavements. Overloading refers to allowing more numerous or heavier vehicles to use your lot than your contractor engineered it to support. If overloading is the issue, there are asphalt repair methods that can enhance the pavement’s strength. Full-depth asphalt patching is one such paving repair.

At Asphalt Care Services, we help Treasure Coast property owners and managers get the most value for the money they invested in their pavements. Our services include asphalt patching and repairs, parking lot maintenance, speed bumps, asphalt sealcoating, traffic signage, asphalt paving, thermoplastic line striping, concrete bumpers, and parking lot striping. We have an exemplary reputation for extraordinary craftsmanship and superior service. For a free quote, submit your request by completing our online form, calling 772-888-2840, or emailing [email protected].