Tips To Repair And Maintain Parking Lot Efficiently

by Brittany W. Content Writer

If you have one, maintaining the parking lot is an important part of commercial property maintenance in Denver.

It’s often first the place where employees and customers land as they store their vehicles. So the parking area can make or break your first impression. Depending on the nature of your business, it’s also the place where a lot of transporting and storing happens.

A parking lot should be easy and safe to use. But issues like potholes can make for a bumpy ride when driving or walking. Spilled engine oil and tire tracks also stain the area.

How well you maintain your parking lot can help you prolong or decrease its lifetime. Here are some tips to maintain your space for a long time before you need to replace it:

Perform Routine Inspections

In many cases, you do not know there’s a problem until you look for it. A routine inspection can help you find such issues before they lead to further problems.

Schedule dates and take a walk around the lot to look for signs like cracks and potholes visually. Take note of these issues and call a Denver parking lot repair firm if needed.

These inspections are especially important after harsh climate events like an intense heatwave or snowfall.

Sweep The Surface

Sweeping the dirt and debris from the surface doesn’t just give your establishment a neat appearance. It prevents the buildup of grime and dirt that could impede the flow of water to the drainage.

Keeping the surface clean will help you ensure that it doesn’t break down due to standing water. Clearing stones and debris from the surface also makes it safer for drivers and pedestrians.

Check Drainage

Drain blockage could cause puddles to form over the parking lot surface, leading to cracking and potholes. You should check them and ensure that they are flowing properly.

Fill Cracks

Small cracks aren’t something to panic about but you should take care of them as soon as possible.

These cracks could allow water to seep through them, which might expand when it freezes. This could cause the cracks to grow.

The cracks might also allow vegetation to grow in it, causing more cracks to form and damaging the surface. You should fill the cracks to keep water and vegetation out of it.

Sealcoating

Applying coating on the parking lot surface is important to prevent cracking, oxidation or staining. Many contractors apply sealcoating after setting the surface to extend its life.

How often you need to reapply the coating depends on the quality of the substance you use. You also need to reapply it on the portions you get patched or refilled.

There are many eco-friendly sealants with little or no VOC in them.

Clean Up Oil And Gasoline Spills

If the ugly stains left behind by oil spills and gasoline drippings aren’t enough, then their impact on the parking lot should be.

Oil and gasoline eat away at the bond that holds concrete or asphalt together. This weakens the surface, making it likely to crack and for potholes.

You need to remove these spills as soon as you see them to protect your lot. There are many home remedies you can use like baking soda and coke. They work best when oil hasn’t settled into the surface yet.

Update Striping

Restriping your parking lot periodically can help extend its life. The idea is to distribute the amount of wear it goes through throughout the surface.

When the old paint fades, consider creating a new parking plan for the area. This way, the vehicles will move differently, preventing the same areas from getting worn out continuously.

Make sure that the new plan can accommodate the traffic you expect and allows vehicles to move easily.

Add Shades

Sunlight is one of the main reasons behind the wear and tear your parking lot goes through. Installing shades on the lot can prevent the wear to some extent. They can also be helpful during rain and snow.