A quick trip to a shopping center can turn into a lengthy car ride as you circle around searching for a parking spot. Some drivers in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Tampa even avoid making plans altogether because of the stress parking causes. You don’t want to inadvertently turn customers away, right?
Many people rely on personal transportation to commute in many cities across the U.S., and with those vehicles comes a need for parking. Fortunately, maintaining a good-looking parking lot can enhance your property’s overall success, encouraging customers to drive to you rather than driving away. You’ll help prevent collisions, improve parking lot traffic flow, and offer your customers a stress-free experience. At U.S. Pave, we believe in providing a solution for everyone’s parking lot needs. Check out our overview on how to make your local parking lot look good.
Parking Lot Aesthetics
Finding parking is challenging and can make customers anxious. In fact, 73% of drivers surveyed by SpotHero reported finding parking stressful, with 54% stating that they avoid traveling due to difficulties finding parking. That’s why a well-maintained parking lot matters. It can positively boost your business’s reputation and customer satisfaction when focused on accessibility and convenience. A good parking lot with clear lines, plenty of space, and a pleasant appearance can make sure that your business avoids deterring customers.
Key Elements of a Good-Looking Parking Lot
You can ease your customers’ parking stress with a good-looking parking lot that’s clean, smooth, and pleasing to look at. With this in mind, note that regular maintenance is important for preventing cracks in the asphalt, potholes, and faded paint. Here are some routine tasks you can perform to create an attractive parking area:
- Proper striping: Vibrant and uniform white lines are visible against the dark asphalt of a parking lot and help avoid confusion among drivers. Bold blue and yellow lines differentiate designated parking spaces.
- Clear and legible signage: Whether it’s a sign on a post or directional signs painted on the asphalt, make sure that your signage is clear and understandable to guide drivers where they need to go. Signs also help disabled drivers know where to park for easy accessibility.
- Cleanliness: If drivers avoid a spot because it’s dirty, it’ll cause more parking problems. Ensure that drivers can park in any spot in your business’s parking lot by keeping the lot clean of trash and debris.
- Smooth asphalt: A perfectly paved asphalt parking lot is free of bumps and seams, making it easier for drivers to navigate the area. Consider a slope-paved parking lot to ease drainage and maintain spaces when it rains.
- Adequate lighting: Ensure that your parking lot is well-lit at night with updated lighting fixtures that turn on when the sun goes down. This extra step helps your lot look welcoming and makes your customers feel safe.
- Visually appealing elements: Get creative with artistic elements by incorporating stripes or lush greenery, such as grass, bushes, and flowers. Trees and awnings are attractive yet functional, providing shade for drivers and their cars, and these visually appealing elements attract more customers to your lot.
Choosing the Right Materials
Time and weather can slowly chip away at the appearance of your parking lot, causing the paint to fade and the ground to crumble. Depending on your traffic volume, a poorly laid surface area can become susceptible to potholes. Avoid lowering the appeal of your property’s parking area by choosing high-quality materials from your local paving company.
Asphalt is a go-to paving material thanks to its durability. When paired with a proper sealer, the asphalt stays strong against wear, as well as oil and gas spills from cars. It also prevents sun oxidation, so your parking lot looks brand-new for years to come. Concrete isn’t as long-lasting as asphalt, plus it’s more expensive.
Maintenance Tips
With proper maintenance, asphalt pavement should last 20 years. Our expert team of paving professionals at U.S. Pave recommends having professional sealcoating on your parking lot every two to three years. Not only does this process protect your investment, but it also keeps the area smooth, improving traction to avoid accidents.
Daily or weekly cleaning and draining help clear your parking lot of debris and standing water. These elements can damage your lot’s surface if left alone, creating hazards for drivers and their vehicles. You can avoid such issues by scheduling routine inspections and regular maintenance services with a U.S. Pave professional, who will ensure that your parking lot is in excellent shape. Our team is also ready to help with pothole and crack repair or resurfacing of the parking area if needed.
Cost-Effective Strategies
Paving your parking lot with asphalt costs about half as much as concrete. But the best way to save money in the long run is by proactively maintaining your lot. Regularly sweeping keeps the surface clean, and sealcoating helps protect it. In addition, timely patching and repairs prevent small issues from growing into bigger problems that cost more money to fix down the line.
A project’s overall price depends on the lot size, labor cost, materials, and the preparation needed to prepare the existing surface for pavement. For the most cost-effective parking lot solution, consider an overlay, which involves laying a light layer of new asphalt onto the old lot. Depending on maintenance and care, this solution can last seven to 15 years. Discuss your budget with your local paving professional to determine which option best suits you and your customers’ needs.
Make Your Parking Lot Look Good With U.S. Pave
Improving your parking lot’s appearance and functionality eases drivers’ stress, boosts customer satisfaction, and ultimately benefits your business. Regular maintenance is easy and cost-effective once you have a smooth asphalt parking lot with visible signs and lines. Cut the hassle of finding good parking for your customers by offering them a well-maintained parking lot made of high-quality materials. Could your parking lot use some improvement? If so, contact U.S. Pave for a free estimate today. We even offer emergency repairs to prevent unnecessary damage to your lot’s asphalt.
Top View Photo of Cars on Parking Lot by Kelly is licensed with Pexels License
Posted on behalf of
U.S. Pave is a full-service paving maintenance and installation company serving all of Florida with Parking Lot Maintenance, New Asphalt Construction, Asphalt Patching and Repair, Parking Lot Crack Repair, Pothole Repair, Parking Lot Resurfacing (Overlay), Parking Lot Sealcoating or Resealing, Concrete Maintenance, Concrete Flatwork, Concrete Car Stops, Flow line / Curb & Gutter, Trip-hazard Removal/Grinding, Parking Lot Striping, Signage, Bollards, ADA Compliance and Upgrades, Catch Basins, Sweeping and Porter Services.
Whether you’re in need of a small repair or a new construction project, U.S. Pave's dedicated team has you covered.
For more information on our services contact us today at (954) 210-7481.