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No matter how well you care for your asphalt driveway over the years, since we live in a cold-weather climate, annual freeze-thaw cycles are going to take their toll. Add to that the weight of vehicles driving over the asphalt daily, and your driveway is bound to show signs of wear and aging unless you keep it properly maintained.

Depending on the extent of the problem, there are different repair options available to breathe new life into your worn or damaged driveway. Your job is to get the information you need to choose the appropriate fix.

Sealcoating to Fill Small Cracks

Minor damage that shows up as hairline cracks across the surface of an asphalt driveway is a relatively easy and inexpensive fix. Emulsified asphalt or coal-tar sealants bond with the asphalt underneath. Sealcoating holds the asphalt together and helps protect your driveway by keeping water from seeping below the surface and expanding cracks.

Besides giving your asphalt driveway a cosmetic facelift, regular maintenance can prevent cracks from spreading. Asphalt seal coating repels water and slows fading and oxidation damage from the sun. The sun’s rays can dry out the asphalt binders and make the paving brittle and less flexible.

Patching to Fill Large Cracks and Holes

Holes and wide cracks that run deep require patching material before applying a sealer. If you’re looking to extend the life of your asphalt driveway, consider hiring an asphalt paving contractor.

Proper preparation of cracks and potholes before filling them with an asphalt repair material can delay the need to resurface or replace the driveway. But it may not be a task that you have the know-how or equipment to do.

Patchwork requires removing damaged asphalt and other debris from cracks and holes. A paving contractor may need to cut around a hole to firm up the edges before adding gravel to act as a base for the asphalt filler. As a final step, both the base and repair material must be tamped down.

Keep in mind that although patching may be a more affordable solution at the time, it’s only a temporary fix. New cracks and holes can develop, or former damage may eventually reappear if water seeps in between the old asphalt and patching material.

Resurfacing to Create a New Appearance

As your driveway gets older, it can reach the point when it needs more than patching and seal coating. Eroding soil, drought, and periods of heavy rainfall can cause the ground underneath the driveway to shift, causing cracks. Water can also seep down into the driveway’s foundation, washing away the gravel, creating dips in the asphalt pavement.

If affordability is a concern, resurfacing your driveway can save you money. However, the foundation must still be in good condition for a paving contractor to scrape off the top layer and resurface it with a fresh coat of asphalt. Resurfacing covers cracks that won’t return for a while and costs less than completely replacing the driveway.

The actual cost of driveway resurfacing varies by location and the condition of your existing asphalt drive. But on average, the cost for a new topcoat is a few dollars per square foot.

Replacing to Guarantee Stability and Support

Although replacing an asphalt driveway is more expensive than resurfacing it, you may have no choice if the surface is crumbling or the foundation base underneath is failing. You may also need to replace the driveway if there is a drainage problem and your drive doesn’t stand on well-drained soil.

The length and width of the driveway affect the cost. Although replacing your driveway is a significant investment, a high-quality asphalt surface that you keep well-maintained can last for decades.

If you decide to replace your driveway, you’ll pay the contractor an added cost to remove and haul away the existing driveway. Some contractors also have a minimum charge for smaller driveways since they need to use the same equipment on the job as they would to install a larger driveway.

Contact Plehal Blacktoppingfor answers to questions you may have about how to repair your asphalt driveway. Our team can assess the condition of your driveway and help you make the choice that’s right for your situation.

Asphalt is one of the most versatile and durable paving materials currently available. However, while asphalt can withstand a number of stressors, certain conditions can encourage premature wear or cause acute damage to asphalt surfaces.

Whether you own an apartment complex or manage a school building, you have a lot of property logistics to manage. In addition to taking care of your building itself, prioritize protecting your parking lot from hazards that can turn your lot into an unsafe and unsightly detriment to your property instead of an asset.

In this blog, we list 10 common threats to maintaining the condition of an asphalt parking lot.

1. Age

As asphalt ages, the pavement can become more brittle and, therefore, more vulnerable to cracking. While you can’t keep your parking lot from aging, you can stay current with maintenance and consult with a paving expert to keep the pavement intact for as long as possible.

2. Caustic Chemicals

While asphalt can handle harsher conditions than many materials, your parking lot is still vulnerable to the effects of corrosives. Paint thinner, gasoline, ice melt or road salt, and even industrial-grade cleaners can cause pitting and contribute to wear.

To minimize damage from any chemicals spilled in your parking lot, dilute and wash away the substance with water as soon as possible.

3. Direct Sunlight

Older blacktop doesn’t look nearly as black as freshly paved parking lots due to sunlight-related fading. In addition to changing the color of your parking lot, direct sunlight speeds up the aging process. Shade your parking lot if possible, but definitely have a sealcoat applied at recommended intervals as well.

4. Hail

Hailstones hit with surprisingly hard impact. In areas where hailstorms are frequent, this precipitation can leave little divots in asphalt pavement that eventually become cracks and potholes. To reduce the effects of hail, schedule seasonal maintenance from a paving contractor with experience in the local climate.

5. Oily Liquids

While caustic substances can eat into your asphalt, oily liquids seep into the pavement. This saturation makes your parking lot sticky and affects the natural way that the asphalt expands and contracts with temperature fluctuations.

If you notice a motor or food-grade oil spill, soak up as much of the liquid as possible with sand before clearing it away.

6. Overgrown Vegetation

Weeds and plant life that outgrows their designated area can actually pose a threat to your asphalt over time. Misplaced vegetation affects drainage in parking lots. When you have a lot of overgrown plant life, this vegetation may lead to standing water, which we’ll discuss in a later section.

Additionally, particularly strong weeds can widen existing cracks with their root structures and complicate repairs.

7. Oversized Vehicles

When oversized vehicles move more slowly, the pavement beneath them takes a heavier load. If you often have delivery, garbage, or dump trucks in your parking lot, your asphalt may show signs of the excess weight sooner rather than later.

When you know to expect oversized vehicles, you can have a contractor lay down deep asphalt to compensate for the weight of these trucks.

8. Pools of Water

Asphalt is built on a base layer that provides a surface for the blacktop you actually see to adhere to. Unfortunately, water seeps right through the blacktop and penetrates the base layer easily, especially when it stands in one spot for a long period of time.

Water intrusion decreases pavement strength and contributes to wear and tear like potholes.

9. Unaddressed Repairs

Many property owners and managers assume that their parking lot repairs can be put at the bottom of their to-do lists because many roads and parking lots show signs of wear. However, unaddressed parking lot damage can worsen dramatically with normal foot and road traffic or weather changes.

When this damage becomes more extensive, so too does the scope of your repairs and the potential costs involved.

10. Weather Extremes

One of the reasons why asphalt is so durable is because the material expands and contracts easily as temperatures change. However, weather extremes can take a serious toll on your parking lot.

If you live in a climate with heavy snow or rainfall, icy winter conditions, or blisteringly hot summers, prioritize yearly asphalt maintenance.

Safeguard your parking lot against these threats to protect your paving investment. You may need to implement new rules about vehicle maintenance being performed on your lot, install a security system, or adjust elements like drainage in order to keep your parking lot structurally sound and strong in the long run.

If your parking lot has already been exposed to these or any other damaging substances or circumstances, schedule professional asphalt repair as soon as possible. Prompt repairs minimize the scope of necessary work, saving you time and money. Additionally, this step improves lot usability and customer, employee, or tenant perception.

For comprehensive asphalt paving services, trust the experienced team at Plehal Blacktopping.

For many homeowners, the decision to pave is voluntary. Many people get by with dirt driveways or areas finished with crushed stone instead of hard paving. However, paving your driveway adds value to your home, helps to curb the dust and dirt you track inside, and provides a finished look to your home.

When you’ve made the choice to finish your driveway, you have some options, including concrete, asphalt, individual pavers, and even decorative bricks. Each has their pros and cons, but sometimes, asphalt can be the best choice for your needs.

Learn below when asphalt paving has an advantage and why it’s a strong contender for your driveway needs.

Maintenance

One area where asphalt shines is with the maintenance. All surfaces need some sort of maintenance, and asphalt is no different. However, in general asphalt is easier to repair than concrete finishes, and the repairs blend in more easily with the existing finish.

Asphalt surfaces need sealing every few years in order to increase longevity. The new sealing helps to restore the blacktop look of asphalt that it has when it is brand new. Asphalt will crack or even crumble in some areas as it ages, but repairs for cracks and patches are not costly. Many homeowners can even do cold patches themselves for smaller repairs.

Appearance

Many people worry that asphalt will not look refined enough. However, newly rolled asphalt that is properly installed will look as polished as a concrete or brick surface. Concrete and bricks allow for a print or design in the finish. Because asphalt is compacted under high pressure, imprints used to be rare.

However, stamped asphalt is now possible. You can choose decorative finishes the mimic pavers or geometric designs. These stamps are applied after the asphalt is rolled. This process works because the stamps themselves are heated. The surface can be finished with sealer that helps to give depth to the design.

Parking lot black is not your only option. Some higher-end asphalt products can use tinted binders that give your driveway an appealing color.

Asphalt also has a unique way of hiding stains. Uncolored concrete and bricks show and absorb oil stains or stains from falling leaves or tree berries. The naturally darker finish of asphalt will not show stains from vehicle leaks, and asphalt also will be more resistant to leaf tannins that affect concrete surfaces.

If your asphalt is looking rough, you can choose to have it resurfaced. This quality is unique to

asphalt surfaces. You can replace bricks, or you can break up, remove, and re-pour concrete, but no other paving material can be reused with a replacement top layers.

Durability

In the cold weather climate of Minnesota, asphalt shines as a superior product. Asphalt does better in extremely cold temperatures. Concrete and bricks are more prone to cracks and breaking with drastic weather changes.

Also, asphalt will hold up better to salts and other products used to melt ice from the driveway. A new concrete driveway is susceptible to pockmarks from certain salts.

Furthermore, because salt is hydrophilic and because concrete is porous, the salt draws water into the concrete, where it freezes and expands. The result is concrete that crumbles from within, especially if the salty water reaches the supporting rebar in the concrete, as the salt can cause corrosion.

Comparatively, an asphalt driveway that has been properly sealed will be more water resistant, even if the water has been mixed with ice melt chemicals. If the winter is particularly hard, you may need to reseal your driveway more frequently.

Readiness

If you need a project done quickly, asphalt is the best option. It can be driven on after only a day or so, depending on the temperature and the moisture outside. Concrete surfaces take longer to cure, and they may even need to be poured in stages.

When you don’t have the luxury of waiting a week to use your driveway and want to have the project done, asphalt is your best choice.

Cost

Finally, many homeowners worry about the cost of paving. Asphalt is usually the winner here. Concrete costs around 45 more percent at installation, which is why many people find asphalt to be the better option for the budget. Bricks take a lot of labor during installation, which drives up the price per square foot.

If you’re concerned about the cost to the environment, you should know that asphalt can be made from recycled materials. You can also recycle old asphalt into new product. Using recycled asphalt helps to cut back on the use and refinement of raw materials. Asphalt is the most recycled material in the United States.

For more information about whether asphalt finishing is right for you or to get an estimate for your driveway, contact us at Plehal Blacktopping.

For many homeowners, the decision to pave is voluntary. Many people get by with dirt driveways or areas finished with crushed stone instead of hard paving. However, paving your driveway adds value to your home, helps to curb the dust and dirt you track inside, and provides a finished look to your home.

When you’ve made the choice to finish your driveway, you have some options, including concrete, asphalt, individual pavers, and even decorative bricks. Each has their pros and cons, but sometimes, asphalt can be the best choice for your needs.

Learn below when asphalt paving has an advantage and why it’s a strong contender for your driveway needs.

Maintenance

One area where asphalt shines is with the maintenance. All surfaces need some sort of maintenance, and asphalt is no different. However, in general asphalt is easier to repair than concrete finishes, and the repairs blend in more easily with the existing finish.

Asphalt surfaces need sealing every few years in order to increase longevity. The new sealing helps to restore the blacktop look of asphalt that it has when it is brand new. Asphalt will crack or even crumble in some areas as it ages, but repairs for cracks and patches are not costly. Many homeowners can even do cold patches themselves for smaller repairs.

Appearance

Many people worry that asphalt will not look refined enough. However, newly rolled asphalt that is properly installed will look as polished as a concrete or brick surface. Concrete and bricks allow for a print or design in the finish. Because asphalt is compacted under high pressure, imprints used to be rare.

However, stamped asphalt is now possible. You can choose decorative finishes the mimic pavers or geometric designs. These stamps are applied after the asphalt is rolled. This process works because the stamps themselves are heated. The surface can be finished with sealer that helps to give depth to the design.

Parking lot black is not your only option. Some higher-end asphalt products can use tinted binders that give your driveway an appealing color.

Asphalt also has a unique way of hiding stains. Uncolored concrete and bricks show and absorb oil stains or stains from falling leaves or tree berries. The naturally darker finish of asphalt will not show stains from vehicle leaks, and asphalt also will be more resistant to leaf tannins that affect concrete surfaces.

If your asphalt is looking rough, you can choose to have it resurfaced. This quality is unique to

asphalt surfaces. You can replace bricks, or you can break up, remove, and re-pour concrete, but no other paving material can be reused with a replacement top layers.

Durability

In the cold weather climate of Minnesota, asphalt shines as a superior product. Asphalt does better in extremely cold temperatures. Concrete and bricks are more prone to cracks and breaking with drastic weather changes.

Also, asphalt will hold up better to salts and other products used to melt ice from the driveway. A new concrete driveway is susceptible to pockmarks from certain salts.

Furthermore, because salt is hydrophilic and because concrete is porous, the salt draws water into the concrete, where it freezes and expands. The result is concrete that crumbles from within, especially if the salty water reaches the supporting rebar in the concrete, as the salt can cause corrosion.

Comparatively, an asphalt driveway that has been properly sealed will be more water resistant, even if the water has been mixed with ice melt chemicals. If the winter is particularly hard, you may need to reseal your driveway more frequently.

Readiness

If you need a project done quickly, asphalt is the best option. It can be driven on after only a day or so, depending on the temperature and the moisture outside. Concrete surfaces take longer to cure, and they may even need to be poured in stages.

When you don’t have the luxury of waiting a week to use your driveway and want to have the project done, asphalt is your best choice.

Cost

Finally, many homeowners worry about the cost of paving. Asphalt is usually the winner here. Concrete costs around 45 more percent at installation, which is why many people find asphalt to be the better option for the budget. Bricks take a lot of labor during installation, which drives up the price per square foot.

If you’re concerned about the cost to the environment, you should know that asphalt can be made from recycled materials. You can also recycle old asphalt into new product. Using recycled asphalt helps to cut back on the use and refinement of raw materials. Asphalt is the most recycled material in the United States.

For more information about whether asphalt finishing is right for you or to get an estimate for your driveway, contact us at Plehal Blacktopping.

Are you considering a brand new athletic court of your own or debating whether to have your existing athletic court resurfaced? Installing or repairing an athletic court is a good call. Here are three reasons why an athletic court is a winning home and business feature.

1. Home and Business Athletic Courts Are Low-Maintenance Kid Magnets

How do you keep the kids at home where you can supervise their activities during the summer and school breaks? You need some way to keep children engaged and occupied. You can install a deluxe game room, but then your kids will be spending unhealthy amounts of time indoors and inactive.

Swimming pools are great, but they require a lot of maintenance. You need new pool accessories and chemicals every year, and you pay for the power to run pumps and heaters. Pools must be continually skimmed for leaves and bugs.

An athletic court doesn’t need constant maintenance and pH checks. A broom or leaf blower is the most you need to clear the court surface of leaves and debris. Clean the court surface very few months when soiled by droppings or other marks. All you need for a deep clean is some mild detergent, a spray hose, or a medium-duty pressure washer.

Do your kids hate tennis even though you live for the sport? Modern athletic court surfaces can be designed with more than one sport in mind.

Have your sports surface designed for many activities, including:

• Basketball
• Kickball
• Soccer
• Roller hockey
• Volleyball
• Handball

Softer surfaces can be used for outdoor yoga and tai chi exercises. A level surface is ideal for athletes of all ages who want to practice stretches and other body-strengthening exercises.

When you have your own athletic court, you can enhance it to benefit your family. Add seating, speakers, and an adjacent snack area to make your tennis court a favorite hangout spot. Host friendly sporting competitions with the kids in the neighborhood. Keep kids and adults entertained during parties with your own athletic court.

Parents who own businesses benefit from installing onsite athletic courts on their commercial properties, too. They can bring kids to work and know their kids have an activity to keep them busy. A multi-sport surface is an even better business investment both for your employees and for professionals who bring their families to the office during peak work periods.

2. A Convenient Location Helps You Practice

Even if you love games like tennis, the benefits of playing a few sets are outweighed by the stress of traffic jams, parking issues, and gas prices. Traveling back and forth to a distant court cuts into your recreational budget and robs you of your time.

Using a public or club court takes planning, too. You have to play during specific hours, wear appropriate attire, and sometimes wait your turn in a line of players.

With your own onsite court, you can play on a whim. Floodlights (if approved by your neighborhood or screened from view) allow you to work out long after dark if you prefer.

With your own home or business athletic court, you spend your time perfecting your technique rather than sitting in your car fuming over bad drivers. You can wear your bathing suit and get a tan while you play if you like. Having your own athletic court located steps from your door is the definition of sports nirvana.

3. A Home or Business Athletic Court Supports Your Own Contenders

Do you have a sports protégé or two in the family? If their dream is to be the best in the sport, your loved ones must practice their skills on a routine basis.

According to experts, one or two long sessions per week is not as good for a player’s skill development as more frequent, shorter practices. After four hours, a player’s practice become sloppy because of their physical and mental exertion. Experts recommend that serious players commit to daily practices that are no longer than one to one-and-one-half hours long.

If you live some distance from an athletic court, your family must sacrifice to make it to the court every day. Install your own court, and an hour or so of daily practice is an easy goal to achieve.

Additionally, you can install cameras on your own court to record and study the action. Players can see where they’re making errors or have bad form.

Coaches and pros can give private lessons at your home, and you cut down on your weekly driving duties. The family player doesn’t have to feel embarrassed or timid about trying new moves and strategies in front of a crowd with a private court.

Businesses that sponsor teams can sponsor matches on their courts. Their team members can practice at will, and business employees can use the court to stay in shape, too.

Contact Plehal Blacktopping to schedule installation of your new multi-sport athletic court. We apply surfaces for athletic courts and other sports amenities for residences and businesses within a 45-mile radius of Shakopee, Minnesota.

Are you installing a new parking lot or repairing an older parking area? Increase the safety and efficiency of your commercial parking zones by following recommended rules for professional design and maintenance. Here are four best practices to follow for commercial parking lots.

1. Minimize Wasted Space

If your business has expanded, your parking lot may no longer meet your needs. When you don’t have enough spaces to accommodate your employees and customers, it’s time to either have a new parking lot constructed or maximize the spaces in the existing parking lot.

First, determine if your parking area has any wasted spaces. Empty corners and edges of your lot can be utilized as spaces for motorcycles or bicycles.

Other wasted space can be eaten up by:

• Dumpsters
• Recycling receptacles
• Portable signage
• Storage buildings
• Abandoned vehicles
• Seldom-used commercial vehicles

By removing these space wasters, you can create additional parking areas for staff and customers.

2. Maximize Your Lot’s Parking Capacity and Efficiency

According to experts, non-disability parking-space dimensions should ideally be 9 feet by 18 feet. However, not all vehicles need that much room to park safely. Increase your number of spaces by designating some areas as compact-car or motorcycle parking.

For high-turnover lots, one way to increase the efficiency of parking spaces is to change the angle of your spaces. In 67 percent of cases, having parking spaces set at 90-degree angles from curbs or aisles is the most efficient way to utilize your lot’s capacity.

In other cases, 90-degree-angled spaces can reduce efficiency in high-turnover parking lots. Drivers have issues executing right turns into spaces and may clog one-way parking aisles trying to find an open spot on the left.

Angled parking generally offers unidirectional flow and more efficient access to spaces. The size of your lot can also make angled parking more efficient.

A 60-degree-angled parking-space setup is the optimal arrangement for lots measuring (in feet):

• 125 by 175
• 125 by 150
• 150 by 150

A professional parking-lot installer can help you determine the most efficient use of your parking area both in terms of the number of spaces and the overall traffic flow.

3. Comply With ADA Requirements

Ensuring that your lot is compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) has many benefits. You reduce risks of fines, litigation, and bad press. You create a welcoming, safe environment for staff, customers, and clients with disabilities.

If you have older parking spaces with 5-foot access aisles for vans, you should know that requirements have changed. New laws require 8-foot access aisles to meet the ADA standards for van-accessible parking spaces in Minnesota.

If you merely paint over the old 5-foot aisles, you can remain ADA-compliant without increasing access-aisle dimensions. If you resurface, seal-coat, or reconfigure the spaces in your lot, you must provide the new 8-foot access aisles.

Angled spaces should have the access aisles located on the passenger sides of the spaces. Slopes of the spaces should remain below a 1:48 ratio, and there must be at least 98 inches of vertical clearance above the access aisles.

You aren’t required by state law to paint the surfaces of your van-accessible spaces within the parking areas. However, you should provide signs at the heads of van-accessible spaces. Signs should be at least 12 inches by 18 inches and include the international access symbol in white with a blue background.

4. Protect Your Business From Lawsuits

Hazardous parking lots pose safety risks to all workers and visitors. They also put your business at risk of workers’ compensation claims and personal injury lawsuits.

If your business has been warned or received complaints about safety issues in your parking lot, you could be fined or receive penalties for not correcting the hazards. Conduct a safety inventory of your parking lot to find and correct potential hazards.

Experts state that parking lot safety is increased by:

• Replacing speed bumps with rumble strips
• Posting speed limit signs
• Making aisles one-way only
• Maintaining 2-percent grade in all directions
• Raising pedestrian walkways
• Installing adequate lighting for visibility

Proper surface care of the parking lot is also key to reducing the risks of hazards and lawsuits. If your parking lot has potholes, slick surfaces, or icy conditions, your liability is increased.

Budget and plan for repairs, maintenance, and upgrades to your parking lot to stay out of legal trouble and provide the safest parking area for your employees and customers. Perform seasonal lot care as often as is needed to decrease slip-and-fall and crash hazards.

Seasonal maintenance includes:

• Sweeping away slick leaves and debris
• De-icing frozen patches
• Keeping signage and lot markings visible
• Clearing snow to remove blind spots

Keep plenty of salt and de-icing materials on hand during winter to maintain traction and footing for drivers and pedestrians. Or hire a reliable parking-lot maintenance company to stay on top of winter-related hazards in your parking areas.

Schedule installation, re-striping, maintenance, or repair of your commercial parking lot in southeastern Minnesota by contacting Plehal Blacktopping. We’re happy to work with businesses and industrial customers within a 90-mile radius of Shakopee, Minnesota.

Considerations for Parking Lot Water Management
There are many benefits that come from paving the parking lot for your business. Some businesses might use loose material to finish a parking area, but the loose materials do not last as long and make the parking lot less user-friendly for clients, customers, and deliveries. However, loose medium does have one advantage: it offers more natural drainage in wet seasons.

Paving usually makes rain and snow runoff more difficult. However, with proper planning, installation, and materials, you can ditch the loose material, and your paved parking area can be just as effective at draining off excess water. Here are some considerations for designing a parking lot that drains well.

Properly Grade the Parking Area Before Paving

No matter what kind of asphalt you install, you want to make sure that the parking lot itself is optimized for good drainage. Heavy rain can make standing water build up fast on your pavement, so you need to make sure that you have designs in place to direct water flow away from parking spaces and toward storm drains and road gutter areas.

If you simply pave over a parking area without worrying about drainage, you drastically reduce the overall lifespan on your asphalt. Standing water can weaken the sealcoating, and during the winter, water will seep into the cracks in your pavement and turn to ice. As the water expands into ice, it will widen the cracks and further damage your parking lot.

Standing water on your pavement also defeats the purpose of having a nice paved area, because one of the significant advantages of pavement over loose medium is that it can maintain its own drainage; loose mediums do have better porosity over pavement, but they shift around, especially with heavy traffic, creating high and low spots that need to be graded out often.

Invest in a Good Base Installation

Base installation also helps with water management — when it is done correctly. Sometimes, businesses and homeowners choose to skimp on base materials like gravel and fill sand in order to save on costs. However, this is only a short-term gain. The surcoat provides the support of the top structure. If the base starts to break down, the pavement will begin to weaken and crumble.

A thick, packed stone base supports good drainage because it does not wash away in heavy storms. The base will continue to support to asphalt even after years of heavy rain and snowfall. Poor installation, on the other hand, will start to weaken when exposed to extreme weather, even washing out from under the paved surface. If you’re not sure what base will work best for you, reach out to your local paving contractor.

Consider Street Gutter and Storm Drain Location

When planning to pave your parking lot, consider the locations of drains that are already present. You might need to add your own drains in your parking lot, depending on the size of the lot. You also might need to install collection gutters to direct water flow toward existing city infrastructure.

You can’t ignore the mechanisms that are already in place to handle water runoff. Just keep in mind that adding the trough, drains, and guttering needed for drainage can add to your overall installation cost.

Make Sure the Stripes Are Visible

Even with the best drainage in the world, when a parking lot gets wet, drivers can have a hard time seeing the lines that mark the parking spaces and where to drive or which way to go. This is annoying for drivers, but poor striping can also be dangerous if drivers go the wrong way in the parking lot or are too busy watching for the stripes to look for pedestrians.

Make the process easier on everybody by making sure that the paint you choose for your parking lot will show up when the asphalt is wet, especially during the night when the streetlights will reflect off any water on your asphalt. Your customers and guests will be safer and happier this way.

Keep the Parking Lot in Great Shape

Once you’ve designed and installed your parking lot, make sure that you don’t forget about it. While a properly installed asphalt parking lot will last for years, you’ll still need to perform the occasional maintenance to keep it working properly.

Make sure you regularly fill cracks, sealcoat the asphalt, and patch problem areas. These small repairs will keep your drainage working properly, and your drainage in turn will prevent bigger problems that can come from too much standing water on your asphalt — especially during the winter when ice will widen the cracks.

If you need help planning, installing, and maintaining your parking lot to properly manage water, outsource these tasks to an expert. An experienced asphalt contractor will know how to make your lot safe, functional, and attractive and how to keep it that way throughout the year.

For more information on paving with water management in mind, contact us at Plehal Blacktopping.