5 Signs It’s Time to Repave Your Parking Lot

Your Parking Lot makes the first impression!

You’re a proud business owner. You’ve got a solid customer base and you take pride in your business, both from the inner workings to the state of the building itself. Over the years you may have had external repairs and even a new coat of paint, but something is missing. Take a look outside, but this time don’t focus on the building, look at the parking lot. We’re going to discuss the five signs that it’s time to repave your parking lot:

#1 – Your parking lot is full of Potholes

Does your parking lot currently contain more potholes than parking spots? When it rains, are some of those puddles just a little too deep? Do customers joke about needing a wheel alignment after visiting you? Potholes are incredibly common (and incredibly annoying) on any road surface and are caused by the expansion and contraction of groundwater after the water has entered into the ground under the pavement. When the water freezes, it expands and causes the pavement to bend, expand, crack, and ultimately weaken. When the ice melts, the pavement expands or leaves gaps under the pavement, where more water can get in and continue the cycle. As the weight from vehicles passes over the weakened spot in the pavement, a pothole is formed. Not to worry though, a pothole can easily be repaired. You can repair just the pothole, or repave the entire parking lot for a uniform finish.

#2 – No one can see the Painted Lines anymore

Take a look at the lines in your parking lot. Were they easy to find? If you had any trouble locating the parking lines in your lot, chances so do your customers. Faded lines lead to customers parking over them and taking up more space than they need to, leaving less room for more vehicles to park, and less traffic to your store. Faded lines also tend to discourage drivers from driving safely in your lot. Crisp, clear lines subconsciously cause drivers to follow them and not cut across a parking lot over the stalls, potentially causing an accident. It’s a simple psychological trick, but fresh and easy to see lines in your parking lot help enforce order and discourage unsafe driving behavior.

# 3 – The Paved Surface is Uneven

Do you ever notice that sometimes the ground seems a bit further away when getting out of your vehicle, depending on where you park? Maybe you have a designated parking spot and haven’t noticed, but your customers might have. Perhaps when it rains there’s always a spot in the parking lot that tends to form a large puddle and essentially blocks off a few parking spaces. Uneven surfaces are an annoyance that can be easily fixed simply by repaving. Having an expert asphalt paving contractor come to your retail and even out the surface is a simple fix to avoid having grumpy customers enter your store. After all, no one wants to get wet having to park in the puddle because every other space is taken.

#4 – There are Large Cracks in your once smooth Parking Lot

Much like potholes, large cracks can start to form in your parking lot with wear and tear over time. Just like potholes, they can be easily repaired. No matter what caused them, they look ugly, unprofessional, and like you don’t care. We know that isn’t true. You wouldn’t be in business if you didn’t care about your customers. Make the simple move of calling a professional paving contractor to repair the cracks in your parking lot to get the job done and have your lot looking fresh and new again.

# 5 – The Curb Work and Walkways are Worn and Broken

While you’re inspecting your parking lot for any of the above-mentioned items, take a look at the curbs around your lot. Are they a little worse for wear? Are there tire marks where someone got too close, or chips from weather damage? It happens, we know, and it’ s not a make or break issue for your customers, but it’s unsightly. If it’s a curb for pedestrian access, it can also be dangerous. If you want smooth edges that are clean from scuffs and tire marks, contact a paving company.

Need extra asphalt paving tips? Check this article

Your Parking Lot says a lot about your business!

All in all, it’s about curb appeal. Your customers might not consciously notice the condition of your parking lot, but something will feel right in the back of their mind when your lot is freshly paved with crisp, clean lines and smooth curbs. Repaving will clean up the mess that happens to parking lots with wear and tear over time. It’ll subtlety increase customers’ and potentials customers’ opinions about your business, and demonstrate the level of professionalism your business exudes. Repaving will erase the build-up of gum, tire marks, and oil stains that happen to all parking lots over time. It’ll come with that fresh new asphalt smell that people will associate with something new, and come into your store to find out what it is. You can also take advantage of a repaved parking lot and get an expert in to plan out the spaces better, maximizing the space you have for potentially more parking stalls, allowing more people to park in your lot and shop at your business.

Let Burnaby Blacktop help you with all your paving needs. We can stop by and assess your needs in detail, provide you with an estimate, and get started as soon as possible giving your parking lot the refresh and care it deserves. Give us a call today and find out how we can help you increase your curb appeal.