How to Protect Your Asphalt

How to Protect Your Asphalt

Your commercial parking lot or residential driveway starts as a beautiful, flawless surface, but many things can damage your paving project. Explore the top eight things that cause asphalt damage and discover how our team at One Stop Asphalt can assist you in comprehensive maintenance and repairs.

Extreme Weight

Asphalt is only designed for a specific weight limit. Residential driveways are typically 4 inches thick, while commercial lots usually have a 6-inch thick layer of asphalt. If your paving team used less asphalt, or if your parking lot has been used by an overloaded truck, you may experience cracking, chipping, and other issues.

Ask your paving team about the recommended thickness of your parking area. If you expect heavy trucks or construction vehicles to park on your lot, ask our team at One Stop Asphalt to install a suitable driveway or parking area. We’ll recommend the best thickness for your project. New installation projects may benefit from fiber-reinforced asphalt.

Tree Roots

Trees are slow-growing powerhouses capable of plowing through asphalt, concrete, and other materials. A tree planted too close to your parking lot can stretch its roots out and, over time, compromise the foundation of your parking area. Be sure you find the best place to plant new trees in your yard so that they don’t damage your asphalt structure.

Most trees need at least 50 to 75 feet of space for their roots to stretch out. Any less, and you may have roots under your driveway in a few years. If you already notice roots cracking your parking lot, you may need a resurfacing or removal and replacement service.

Chemicals and Oil Spills

Oil, coolant, harsh cleaners, and other chemicals can stain the surface of your parking area. Oil stains are one of the most common. If you notice a dark stain on your asphalt, try using cat litter to remove it. Place the material completely over the spill overnight to see if it absorbs some of the excess oil. If you aren’t sure what type of spill you’re dealing with, contact a professional asphalt team to inspect the damage and determine a proper cleaning strategy. Improper cleaning can damage your asphalt further, so it’s essential to work with professionals when dealing with unknown stains and spills.

Another way to remove stains and surface damage is with a sealcoating service. Our team uses a unique material to coat the entire surface of your asphalt. Some stains can be easily covered without affecting your parking lot, while others need to be cleaned with cleaning agents and solvents before your asphalt is sealed.

UV Rays

The sun’s rays may be a welcome addition to a beachside party, but they can compromise your parking structure. Intense heat and powerful UV radiation oxidize the oil in your parking lot. This degrades it and prevents it from holding the aggregate together. Expect to see alligator cracking, potholes, and other issues after years of direct sun exposure in Arizona.

UV rays don’t just damage your parking lot on a hot day. While UV radiation and hot temperatures combine to create a soft, compromised structure, these rays can cause cracking and other issues in cool weather as well.

Water

Water is a powerful force that can wear away asphalt and other structures. Puddles in your parking lot or groundwater underneath the surface create major issues for your pavement. Be sure to work with a quality paving team to ensure you have the proper foundation to avoid groundwater issues.

For surface water, proper drainage can help any amount of water quickly drain off your parking lot. If you have a compromised asphalt surface, ask a local contractor to inspect it and recommend the necessary repairs. Remove troublesome puddles and enjoy efficient drainage of your long driveway, large parking lot, or small pavement project.

Cold Temperatures

Phoenix may be better known for its heat, but freezing temperatures can also occur in the city and affect your driveway or parking lot. Cold temperatures make asphalt hard and brittle. When you drive on the brittle pavement, it can cause edges to break off and the surface to crack. Try to reduce the load on the edges of your parking lot in the winter. Try to avoid allowing water to freeze and thaw on the surface, as this can cause cracks and potholes to form.

Hot Temperatures

The summer sun can bake your pavement all day. Day after day, year after year, the harsh sunlight, extreme temperatures, and UV radiation can cause pitting, bruising, and softening. These issues are surface damage, but they can make your driveway or commercial parking area look unmaintained and unappealing.

Work with our team at One Stop Asphalt to find an asphalt mixture designed for Phoenix’s scorching heat. Schedule routine inspections and sealcoat services to keep the surface of your parking lot looking brand new. You can’t prevent the sun from coming out in Arizona, but you can prepare your asphalt to withstand direct sunlight day in and day out.

Improper Maintenance

A key part of asphalt protection is proper maintenance. When you skip out on sealcoating, crack filling, overlays, and asphalt replacement services, you decrease the lifespan of your pavement. Over time, minor cracks can turn into major potholes and deep fissures.

Preventative maintenance services are far more affordable than complete removal and replacement services, so be sure to work with One Stop Asphalt for proper maintenance. Another common maintenance issue is working with an inexperienced contractor. Improper pothole filling and sealcoating only mask structural issues in your parking lot.

Contact Us for Services Near Phoenix

For a leading asphalt contractor in Phoenix, turn to One Stop Asphalt. Request a free estimate today to see how you can enjoy an affordable inspection, sealcoat, or other maintenance services.