When is Basic Asphalt Overlay the Best Option for Parking Lot Repair?

Asphalt Overlay Project Orange County California-1

Although properly paved and maintained parking lots can last 20 to 30 years, eventually, they'll all need to be repaired and/or replaced. Exactly what this entails depends on the extent of the damages involved and the preferences of owners and managers. Many times, a basic asphalt overlay repair is the best choice, as it resolves moderate damages and helps businesses avoid more expensive replacement costs. Let's examine this more by discussing when basic asphalt overlay is the best option for parking lot repair.

 

Basic Asphalt Overlay Repair

Basic asphalt overlay repair is when a new layer of asphalt is spread over the existing asphalt in a parking lot or road. The thickness levels of an asphalt overlay are typically 1.5" to 2" thick. A sticky substance called tack coat is placed between the new and old asphalt layers to ensure adequate bondage and long-term stability; placing fabric between layers further ensures long-term stability by creating a water barrier and reducing crack expansions with the existing substrate.

 

When is Basic Asphalt Overlay the Best Option?

 To answer this question, businesses should consider these factors: 

    • safety
    • functionality
    • aesthetics
    • extent of damages
    • cost and disruption involved with repairs  

Businesses need their parking lot to be as safe as possible, in order to avoid accidents and legal issues. This means resolving large issues like potholes, full-depth cracks, structural damages, rises in elevation, tree root upheavals, etc., should be a priority.

Another factor is the curb appeal and functionality of the parking lot. Having a new layer of asphalt placed on the existing parking lot completely revitalizes the area and makes it easy to navigate for traffic and pedestrians.

Then there's the cost and disruption involved with asphalt repair; businesses need an option that fits their budget and operational continuity.

The basic asphalt overlay option is the best when businesses want to significantly upgrade their parking lots without having to replace it completely. This includes resolving smaller cracks, potholes, un leveled surfaces, upheavals, and other non-structural or severe damages.

If a parking lot has a solid existing substrate and the larger trouble spots can be resolved with milling and other techniques before the asphalt overlay, then this option is the best choice for most situations. The asphalt overlay resolves the entire parking lot at once while saving businesses future replacement costs.

When the damages are more extensive than crack sealing asphalt repairs can handle, yet not extensive enough to justify total replacement, then a basic asphalt overlay is the ideal option for most situations.

Overall, a basic asphalt overlay repair is the most practical choice for major commercial, retail, and industrial parking lot upgrades and repairs. The existing substrate just needs to suitable and prepared, incl. being smoothed, cleaned, and covered with a tack coat before the new layer of asphalt is applied.

An article found at Asphalt Pro called: "Best Practices for Asphalt Overlays and Thin Lifts", explains more:

Overlays are an ideal tool to upgrade the existing pavement's structure, as long as the increase in elevation doesn't create a drainage or clearance issue...
However, the pavement must be in suitable condition...overlays generally aren't used if the pavement has full-depth cracks, block cracking, deep ruts in the wheel paths or underlying base problems, such as moisture or deformation.

 

 

Main Benefits of Basic Asphalt Overlay Repair

 

Having the entire parking lot upgraded with fresh new asphalt and painted lines will help improve customer and employee satisfaction levels for years to come. After all, parking lots are the first physical impression customers have of businesses, and damages can create risks and disruptions if left unresolved.

Upgrading the parking lot will also help businesses avoid possible safety and compliance issues stemming from parking lot damages; additionally, it gives businesses the chance to resolve any functionality and compliance issues (like handicap parking and speed bumps) during the repair process.

Here are the main benefits of basic asphalt overlay repair:

 

    • saves replacement costs
    • less operational disruption vs. replacement
    • lasts 10 – 20 years (depending on the application, use, and maintenance)
    • improves curb appeal and functionality
    • resolves safety and compliance issues
    • improves customer and employee satisfaction levels
    • improves brand reputation and identity

 

While patching, sealing, and repairing cracks individually on existing asphalt parking lots are less expensive and disruptive options, inevitably, there comes a time when the degraded integrity and quality of existing substrates will need a more extensive solution. 

And if businesses have been neglecting their parking lots up until the repair, having a new one will give them the chance to improve their long-term maintenance efforts with regular sealcoating and improved response times for individual repairs. This will extend the time between repairs and keep parking lots looking new.

 

Finding the Ideal Asphalt Repair Solutions

 

Ultimately, the specific variables involved in each situation will determine the ideal asphalt repair solution, yet a major part of the equation is finding a quality asphalt repair service to work with. This can be tricky because of the long intervals between a business's asphalt repair and replacement needs.

The selection process starts with having multiple potential asphalt repair services assess the parking lot's damages and give their expert recommendations; this will help businesses understand their options in more detail. Once the details, recommendations, and price quotes are gathered, businesses can select the ideal service by considering their:

Finding the ideal asphalt repair solution involves working with a trusted partner, as businesses are essentially relying on their expertise and capabilities to perform a quality job that lasts. This is why the selection process shouldn't be decided out of convenience or merely to save money. When the difference between quality and lackluster asphalt repair jobs are measured in years of longevity, slight cost savings or conveniences aren't worth the risk.

The good news for businesses in Southern California is Empire Parking Lot Services has the experience, expertise, and capabilities needed to provide a quality asphalt repair service they can trust. If interested in learning more please contact us today.

 

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