When learning about sealcoating, whether you’ve owned a parking lot for years or just purchased one recently, it can be very confusing on where to start to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your investments. Saving as much money on preventative measures as possible, while still protecting your parking lot in the process can be challenging.
Some might wonder whether or not sealcoating is needed, which we have a very quick answer that happens to be yes. Not only does sealcoating protect your parking lot from cosmetic damage, but it also keeps out water and other harmful elements that could ruin large sections of the parking lot, which in turn will cost more to repair.
By sealcoating your parking lot, you’ll be one step ahead of severe weather seasons, rain or snow. In addition to that, you’ll also protect your parking lot from damage that could potentially hurt customers who use this parking lot.
What Happens If You Don't Sealcoat Your Parking Lot
Many business owners who own parking lots are unaware of the damaging effects of winter, and how they can make you shell out your money. If you don’t manage to prepare your parking lot properly, there is a considerable risk of getting trapped. Before another brutal winter destroys your parking lot, let’s go over everything you need to know to be able to prevent severe damages. Below we will discuss some tips and tricks for you to maintain a long-lasting parking lot for years to come. Before we go into the preventative steps, you first need to understand what can happen to your parking lot if no appropriate measures have been taken.
Fading
Fading is the most common problem that occurs at the extreme level, especially with snow. The point is that faded markings and lines may lead to unfortunate accidents and complete confusion for individuals trying to park. This problem can be caused by the heavy use of salt to get rid of snow and ice. It may be challenging to strip it away without damaging the surface. Also, fading makes things more complicated when it comes to maintaining heat to get rid of snow at a parking lot naturally.Cracks and Holes
If there are numerous cracks and potholes in your parking lot, it’s of utmost importance to fix them before winter rolls around. Otherwise, they will end up contracting and making things more troublesome for a business owner. This may also result in severe damages to large sections of a parking lot because melted snow may flow beneath the pavement. Cracks and holes are formed easily in winter, making it very frustrating for parking lot owners. Therefore, it is crucial to plan a budget for sealcoating, pothole, and crack filling. By doing so, your area will be able to last much longer without any upkeep.Effects of Snow Plows
Although this problem is not so common as fading and formation of cracks, it’s also worth mentioning. Of course, using vehicles for clearing the outside area of your facility is a reasonable step. However, the activity of snow plowing may significantly damage a parking lot if a machine operator fails to place a blade at the right level. When the blade of such a vehicle drags along the parking lot surface, it may compromise its integrity.
Essential Steps To Prepare A Parking Lot For Winter
Sealcoating
When it comes to sealcoating a parking lot, you have to realize all the effects of the procedure. It’s one of the most effective ways to protect your area from the harsh winter conditions. This solution means filling small cracks to avoid larger ones and enable the pavement to withstand all the issues associated with temperature fluctuations. Sealcoating will also make sure a parking lot stays darker and absorbs the heat from the sun, making it more difficult for snow to accumulate on the surface.Cooperate With Professionals
Having a reliable team to tackle the snow-related issues is highly advantageous for business owners. Thus, you can always be sure of the availability of means to handle the pavement properly and add to its lifespan.Keep An Eye On The Drainage
A well-functioning drainage system is considered to be a must for all facilities with parking lots. It will help you to get rid of melting snow and undesired standing water before it freezes.Remove All Debris
Keeping an area clean is one of the most important measures you should take to make sure a parking lot will withstand the winter conditions. Apart from an eye-pleasing look and a welcoming environment for your customers, such an area will also make your facility safer. If there is no debris, the risk of falling is minimized. Moreover, the clean lot will contribute to the pavement lifespan by limiting the surface erosion.Sealcoating Is A Smart Investment
Keep in mind that no pavement is resistant to fading and surface damages. However, it’s up to you to increase its durability and provide it with adequate protection. While resisting sun oxidation and reducing surface erosion risks, sealcoating belongs to those procedures that lead to long-lasting results. It is a crucial measure that must be taken to protect the pavement from the harsh realities of winter and save lots of money in the long run. In addition to significant protective properties, sealcoating is known for extending the life of a parking lot as well as improving its appearance. The last feature is highly advantageous for all business owners as they can provide their customers with a visually appealing and safe way towards the entrance door. With all its benefits in mind, sealcoating is deemed to be the very thing for business owners who take care of the condition of their parking lots. Once this measure is implemented, you will forget about fading, cracks, and holes in your pavement.
How To Create Your Own Sealcoating Maintenance Plan
The guide below will help you create your own maintenance plan so you can have a surefire routine when it comes to sealcoating a parking lot. Creating your own maintenance plan for your parking lot doesn’t have to be as hard as you might think. Often, it just takes some time and organization to nail down a routine that works for you.
Let’s cover all of the steps you should be aware of so you can have a successful yearly maintenance plan. We want to make sure that our readers know how to handle sealcoating properly.
- Invest in using a budgeting program. This will help you to manage your expenses, which in turn will allow you to see your funds for maintenance work. When you have your accounts well-organized, there is a higher chance you won’t have to take away from another account to borrow funds for a sealcoat maintenance project. This will also help you keep track of when the sealcoat needs to take place.
- Always make sure you’ve scheduled regular evaluations of the parking lot to ensure you’re right on schedule. After severe weather, it can always change the course of your parking lot even if you don’t see the cosmetic damage.
- When it comes to choosing what product would be the best for your area and the sealcoat that is recommended, always consult with your evaluations. Keep in mind you want as much downtime as possible, so anything that doesn’t smell or leaves a large carbon footprint is good. By keeping up with your evaluations and maintenance, you’ll be ensuring that you aren’t making your carbon footprint bigger or wasting money either.
- Keep up with your coatings which will typically be on schedule anywhere from three to five years.
- It is crucial to make sure you’re paying very close attention to any details that might pop up when it comes to the parking lot you’re managing. Attention to detail is the key to catching any damage that might be trying to form over time.
Creating such a long-term plan can be frustrating and confusing, especially if you don’t know where to start. That’s why we decided to give you a piece of advice on creating an effective maintenance plan. We hope that our recommendations will provide you a bit of perspective and it would be easier for you to take measures and properly care for both your parking lot and the sealcoat.
Sealcoating Is Important
Overall, sealcoating isn’t just putting a protective layer on top of your parking lot, there is so much more that goes into the process. And if you own a parking lot, it’s a process you should be getting familiar with so you know exactly what you need to do in the years to come.
Questions To Ask Yourself Before Sealcoating
Below we’ve included some questions you might want to ask yourself before you start designing your maintenance plan.
- Do you remember how old your parking lot is? If you recently acquired your parking lot, we suggest asking previous owners (this is information they should have provided you with). However, if you have no resources about the age of an area, ask an expert and pay attention to any surface damage and fading in the area.
- When was the last sealcoat applied and had it fully worked out?
- Is there any damage through the sealcoat that could cause problems later on down the road?
- Has there been severe weather that has caused any cosmetic damage that could cause problems for people who use the lot regularly?
- Have there been any gashes that water could get through to cause major damage to large sections of the lot?
Taking parking lot maintenance seriously is the key to ensuring that you won’t have empty pockets each time you need to fix a problem in your lot. Sealcoating offers you the alternative to take preventative measures so you won’t have to deal with the unforeseen damage that needs to be fixed immediately.