Over time, your asphalt parking lot takes a beating. And we don’t have to tell you (but we will) just how bad this past winter was for your asphalt. The snow, ice, and freezing temperatures took their toll on your parking lot, due to what is known as the freeze-thaw cycle. Water penetrates your asphalt through cracks, no matter how small, freezes and expands, and causes those cracks to worsen. This happens several times over the average winter. After a winter like the one we just had in Baltimore, the damage is multiplied, leaving business owners with excessive cracking, potholes, and other forms of asphalt damage. So what do you do?
Repairing vs. Repaving an Asphalt Parking Lot
When all is said and done, the condition of your parking lot, as well as your budget, will determine the extent of the project. Some will require a total excavation and replacement, while others can get away with a little patchwork and some crack filling. You need to evaluate the cost of maintaining the deteriorating pavement over time vs. the cost of replacement. PTG Enterprises can help you make that determination. We will evaluate your parking lot and produce a cost base analysis to determine whether repairs or replacement makes the most sense for you and your business.
Asphalt Repairs
If the damage isn’t too bad, you may be able to get by with asphalt patching, pothole repair, and crack filling. Asphalt maintenance will help extend the useful life of your asphalt, saving you both heartache and money. However, there comes a time when repairs no longer make sense financially. When this happens, total replacement may be your best option.
Total Excavation and Replacement
Asphalt is not indestructible. It will not last forever. In fact, even with regular maintenance, your asphalt parking lot will only last 15-20 years. There eventually comes a time when every parking lot has outlived its useful life, when it is more cost effective to excavate the lot and repave.
The entire parking lot is machine excavated, usually by an asphalt milling machine, but this can vary with the size and shape of the lot. Once excavation is completed, the sub-grade stone is evaluated for its condition. Any soft spots will be undercut and new stone installed. Then the base and surface courses of asphalt are re-installed. With this option, the life cycle of the parking lot is reset to zero. The lot is brand new.
Trust PTG Enterprises
PTG Enterprises is a full service commercial asphalt contractor in the Baltimore, Maryland area. We have been in the asphalt paving business for more than a decade, paving thousands of miles of asphalt lots. Our crews work quickly and professionally.
If you have any questions about Repairing vs. Repaving an Asphalt Parking Lot, please contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy today by calling 410-636-8777, or click here today! You can also follow PTG Enterprises on Facebook and Twitter!
Tags: asphalt, Parking lot, repaving
