How to Plan for a Commercial Paving Project

Pavement is a vital part of developing and maintaining a commercial property, from schools and gyms to apartment complexes and restaurants. Whether you’re just opening for business or want to refresh and restore your parking lot, a professional paving project requires time, resources, and careful planning. We’ve broken the process into a few simple steps, so read on for U.S. Pave’s guide to planning your commercial paving needs.

Assess Your Property

Before making a serious plan, involving a timeline, budget, and professional help, it’s key to evaluate your pavement needs objectively. If your commercial property already has pavement and you want to re-pave or fix it, make a detailed list of the issues and denote any areas that have more wear than others. It can also help to take photos. This information will be useful when contacting professionals about servicing your property. Here are some problems you want to note:

• Holes.
• Cracks and wear.
• Heaving or sinkage.
• Stains.
• Faded markings, like traffic lines or parking space designations.

If you need to pave a new property, think about what you want to get out of the area. Consider the purpose of the area, the amount of traffic it will endure, and the weather conditions that might affect it. Then, you’ll need a formal inspection from a professional paving company. They’ll survey your site, measure it, check the conditions of the soil if necessary, and test various properties. This will help them measure the feasibility of your project.

For example, if you’re adding a parking lot, it’s vital that your property can withstand the weight of the pavement and the cars. If additional work is necessary to prepare your site for pavement, like grading, it’s important to know beforehand so you can factor it into your budget and timeline.

Consider Potential Repairs

Re-pavement isn’t the only option, even if you have severely worn pavement. In fact, sometimes committing to repairing your site instead of starting it over can help you identify the root cause of your issues and prevent it from happening again. There are a host of pavement repairs professionals can perform to address many common concrete and asphalt problems.

• Cracks: If you want to fix cracked asphalt, you can fill cracks to ensure they don’t spread or worsen.
• Stains: Maybe your lot has plenty of oil stains, tire tracks, and weather damage. Applying a sealcoat is an effective way to restore it and protect it from accumulating more damage.
• Deterioration: If you have wear and tear, whether it’s heaving, sinkage, or potholes, you may be able to patch problem areas.
• Hazardous spots: Uneven pavement can be an injury risk, and commercial businesses have a legal obligation to address any trip hazards over a quarter-inch. Grinding down these hazards can make your lot, curb, or walkway safer and more uniform.

Determine the Right Kind of Asphalt for Your Project

Asphalt comes in many varieties, and each type serves different needs. Understanding what options are available to you could help you develop a budget and make more targeted requests for your professional paving partners. Here are some common types of asphalt used in commercial projects:

• Porous pavement: This pavement is beneficial because it manages precipitation well without causing too much damage.
• Hot mix asphalt: Hot mix asphalt is long-lasting and customizable, as it comes in many sub-varieties.
• Perpetual pavement: This multi-layer pavement is famously resilient, so it’s great for high-traffic areas.

It’s alright if you’re unsure what the best asphalt to use for your property might be. Talking with a professional can help, and experts like our team at U.S. Pave know what to recommend.

Contact a Professional Pavement Company in Your Area

Next, it’s time to secure a team of professionals who can meet your needs. Professional pavers will review your site, evaluate your requests, and offer you a quote. Coming in with a solid understanding of what you want and need out of your paving project can make your collaboration smoother. If you’re in southern Florida, contact U.S. Pave for an estimate on convenient, high-quality service.

Plan for Preventative Maintenance

Once you’ve paved, re-paved, or repaired your property, you probably want your investment to last. Performing regular maintenance on your asphalt or concrete can help you protect it. U.S. Pave offers both asphalt maintenance and concrete maintenance to ensure your commercial stays in optimal condition.

The Importance of Asphalt Repairs and Maintenance

Here are some of the reasons proper asphalt and concrete maintenance is vital for commercial properties:

It Improves the Appearance of Your Property

Fresh, even pavement looks clean, modern, and visually appealing. Keeping a well-maintained exterior can contribute to your company’s reputation. Repairing any issues with your concrete and asphalt and performing preventive maintenance to avoid damage could help you attract new customers and keep their trust.

It Promotes Safety

Concrete and asphalt problems aren’t just unsightly — they can be downright dangerous. Failing to grind down trip hazards is a legal compliance issue, and it could put your employees or guests at risk of serious harm. Potholes can damage cars or even lead to traffic issues in your parking lot. Keeping up your parking lots, walkways, ramps, steps, and curbs can help you reduce the risk of injuries on your property, help your business avoid legal issues, and protect you and your team from danger.

It Saves You Money

Most concrete and asphalt problems, like cracks, deterioration, and stains, only get worse as traffic continues and stress compounds. Cracks left unattended can allow moisture to seep into your foundation, gradually decreasing the stability of your site over time. And the larger and deeper your problem is, the more expensive it will be to fix. Essentially, repairing or restoring your pavement sooner rather than later saves you money in the long run.

If you’re looking for pavement repair, construction, and maintenance in Florida, our team of well-trained professionals at U.S. Pave look forward to assisting you. We offer a wide range of services, from pothole repair to parking lot line striping, to businesses in industries like health care, housing, hospitality, and education. Whatever your issue is, contact us today to discuss how we can be of service.

Parking Lot Markup by IgorSaveliev is licensed with Pixabay License