Category: Parking Lots

Puddles of water in the parking area of your building may appear unsightly but harmless. Still, water ponding on your parking lot may actually be indicative of problems with your asphalt or concrete paving. Note that most commercial parking lots are made from asphalt. 

Standing water is likely to shorten the life of your pavement. If there is a crack or other break, water will enter and may end up eroding and destabilizing the pavement’s base. This could result in potholes, alligator cracks, large cracks, and more, leading to expensive repairs.

What Exactly Is Water Ponding?

Water ponding refers to puddles that form in pavement depressions due to a variety of reasons, including the following.

• Normal wear over time that causes ruts to form.
• Trucks or heavy equipment driving or parking on your lot if it was not designed to support such loads. 
• The asphalt not being correctly compacted when it was applied. 
• Subsidence or shifting of the soil underneath the parking lot.
• A drainage system inadequate to cope with the volume of rain that falls in your area. 
• Ineffective sloping of your pavement. 
• Neglected oil spills. As the oils dry out, the pavement begins to lose flexibility, and depressions and cracks may start to form. 
• The wearing away of the seal coating caused by the weight of enough vehicles driving through an area of standing water.
• An improperly set blade on a snowplow taking out a chunk of asphalt.

Water Ponding Affects Safety

Standing water in your parking lot is unwelcome for several reasons, including the following.

• Vehicles that don’t or can’t avoid the puddles can give pedestrians an unwelcome splashing.
• Other car owners may not appreciate the drenching their vehicles receive. 
• Severe pavement damage concealed by ponding water may result in impairment to vehicle tires or suspension systems.
• Pooling water can conceal cracks and potholes that could cause pedestrians to trip, sprain ankles, or suffer other injuries. 
• Cyclists could take nasty falls or suffer damage to their bikes. 
• During the colder months, water ponding on your parking lot can freeze, creating an icy hazard for both pedestrians and drivers. 

Click here for some advice on making your parking lot as safe as possible.

Water Ponding Is Not Aesthetically Appealing

Puddles of water make your parking lot look blotchy and unattractive and may create an unfavorable first impression of your business to potential customers and investors. If the puddles also contain mud or dirt from runoff, the standing water is even less attractive.

Why Good Parking Lot Drainage Is Important

Water is absolutely necessary for life, but water will spell the death of your parking lot if it doesn’t drain off efficiently. Over time, ponding water will inevitably cause a breakdown of the asphalt and eventually lead to the deterioration of the bonding between the binder, rocks, and sand that together make up your pavement.

Water accumulating below the surface of your parking lot will gradually weaken your pavement and reduce its ability to handle its traffic load. Eventually, cracks will materialize, potholes will form, and your once-gorgeous parking area will turn into a hazardous eyesore.

How to Address Water Ponding Problems

The first thing to do is to have your parking lot inspected by a reputable contractor. Based on what the inspection finds, various corrective methods can be used, including the following.

• Pothole repair to prevent the holes from deepening and widening and creating a greater hazard.
• Patching if the problem is confined to small areas. 
• Crack sealing during the spring and summer months to maintain the quality, appearance, and structural integrity of your pavement. Asphalt is porous, so water from melting snow and ice can infiltrate below the surface, causing minor cracks to form.
• Infrared treatment to melt the surrounding asphalt to enable new asphalt to be mixed in.  
• Installation of trench drains or a system of curbs and gutters to improve your drainage. 
• Milling and overlay to add a new layer of asphalt over the top of your existing pavement to improve its strength, performance, and curb appeal. This procedure is more on the rehabilitative side of the spectrum rather than the preventative maintenance side. 

Can You Prevent Water Ponding on Your Parking Lot?

You can follow certain procedures to help prevent depressions from forming that will allow water to pool on your pavement. These steps include the following.

• Prohibiting trucks from driving through your parking lot. Provide separate access to your loading dock.
• Not allowing trucks or heavy equipment to park on your lot, especially if they need to remain stationary for several days. The weight of heavy loads can result in the deformation of your asphalt and leave depressions behind. If you must use your parking lot for palletized materials, move them to a different spot periodically, especially during the hot months.
• The prompt removal of automotive fluid, such as oil, by means of a regular cleaning schedule.
• Keeping storm drains and/or catch basins free from debris. If they clog, water will likely back up and pool on your pavement.
• Placing snow piles strategically, i.e., as close as possible to your lot’s storm drain.

About South Central Sealing & Paving

Are you ready to keep your parking lot in optimal condition for a long life? Then get in touch with our team at South Central Sealing & Paving. We specialize in full-service parking lot maintenance and repairs, including patching, crack sealing, sealcoating, overlays, and more. Our experts can maintain the integrity of your parking lot without disrupting your business because we do it the right way the first time – no need for constant repairs.

South Central Sealing & Paving offers a wide range of asphalt- and concrete-related services to customers in the Wichita, Kansas area. If you are having ponding water problems on your parking lot, don’t wait until they get worse. Contact us for a free, no-obligation estimate!

As a business owner or building manager, being aware of your parking lot’s overall condition is crucial. After all, the parking space is often the first thing customers or potential tenants notice when they visit your business and can make a significant impression before they even enter the building.

Although parking lots are resilient, things like severe weather, extreme sunlight, and heavy traffic can cause your parking lot to degrade much more quickly. While asphalt damage is inevitable, there are several ways you can make your parking area look fresh again with a few preventative maintenance tips.

This article will discuss the importance of parking lot maintenance and give you five effective preventative parking lot maintenance tips to help you get the most out of your pavement. Continue reading below to learn more and discover why South Central Sealing & Paving is the number one choice for high-quality asphalt maintenance services in Wichita.

The Importance of Parking Lot Maintenance

Regular maintenance is integral to facility management and should be treated as such. While the estimated lifespan of an asphalt parking lot is roughly 15 to 20 years, several variables can affect when a parking lot may need maintenance.

Rain, snow, ice, heat, chemicals, oils, and heavy traffic can all be detrimental to asphalt’s durability over time. As a result, asphalt’s durability is compromised by the disproportionate amount of repeated stress.

These maintenance tasks include a variety of repairs and treatments intended to extend the pavement’s lifespan. Whether your parking lot is experiencing cracking or crumbling, or you’re beginning to notice pothole formations, it is a viable option for most physical assets and infrastructure over the long term for many businesses.

5 Preventative Maintenance Tips for Maintaining Your Parking Lot

Improving customer and employee experiences should always be a top priority. As a result, a well-kept parking lot is essential for all businesses. To mitigate natural wear and tear, it’s crucial that property managers and business owners make parking lot maintenance a top priority.

Developing strategic maintenance procedures is one of the best ways facility managers can keep their parking lots in the best condition possible and ensure their maximum service life. Here are five preventative parking lot maintenance tips to keep your parking lot in the best condition possible:

Perform Routine Inspections

Problems in your parking lot can develop rapidly. Once a month, consider walking through your parking lot to conduct a visual inspection and make a note of any areas that are potential trouble areas.

When inspecting your parking lot, look for potential issues such as developing cracks, standing water, and hazardous oil or gasoline pools. These issues require immediate attention to avoid greater problems in the future.

Clean Regularly

Regular cleaning is one of the easiest ways to preserve the value of your asphalt parking lot. Regular cleaning not only increases the longevity of your parking lot but will also assist in removing the buildup of dirt, debris, or contaminants that can accelerate asphalt deterioration.

If you have waste collection bins in your parking lot, it’s essential that you regularly inspect these areas and instruct employees to keep the area clean. You may also want to consider power washing your parking lot a few times throughout the year to remove any harsh, hard-to-remove chemicals or oil spills that may come into contact with the asphalt.

Ensure Proper Drainage

Ensuring your parking lot has adequate drainage is another critical maintenance component. Standing water can cause several problems in your parking lot, such as shortening the pavement’s lifespan, increasing the risk of trips and falls, fostering unsanitary conditions, and damaging vehicles and surrounding infrastructure.

Ensure your parking lot has proper drainage capable of dealing with the amount of water that occurs during heavy rains or snowfalls. Installing a drainage system is another alternative to help avoid long-term problems and save money on costly maintenance and repairs.

Repair Cracks and Potholes

While cracks will inevitably appear due to weather conditions, heavy traffic, and aging, they should be addressed as soon as possible. During the colder months, freeze-thaw cycles will cause the water in cracks to freeze and expand, resulting in exponentially larger cracks.

As asphalt ages, it naturally cracks and may develop low spots or potholes requiring patching. If you notice cracks starting to develop in your parking lot, consider having patchwork or repair work performed by a professional asphalt maintenance expert. The combination of services provides a coordinated approach to resolving problems in your parking lot.

Invest in Sealcoating and Slurry Sealing

Lastly, but most importantly, sealcoating and slurry sealing are two of the most essential aspects of parking lot maintenance. These high-quality sealants create an additional layer of protection that can reduce the effects of water, ultraviolet rays, and other risk factors on asphalt, significantly improving the longevity of your parking lot.

Sealcoating involves applying a protective layer to an asphalt surface to keep it waterproof and protect it from damage caused by weather, oxidation, and normal wear and tear. There are two common types of sealcoat: coal tar sealcoat and asphalt emulsion sealcoat, and both options provide a great way to repair surface damage and extend the life of asphalt pavement.

Alternatively, slurry sealing is a process that uses asphalt emulsion, water, aggregate, mineral filler, and other additives that resurfaces an asphalt pavement that has begun to show signs of deterioration. Slurry sealing not only helps to create a safer driving surface but also improves your parking lot‘s aesthetics and extends your asphalt’s lifespan. Slurry sealing is also less susceptible to cracking and can help prevent gas and oil penetration problems.

Trust the Asphalt Maintenance Experts at South Central Sealing & Paving

Regardless of the business you own or the building you manage, the condition of your parking lot plays a vital role in the impression you make on your customers, employees, and visitors. Fortunately, investing the necessary resources and following some of the tips provided in this article can help you preserve your asphalt parking lot and postpone or avoid expensive, time-consuming repairs in the future and preserve the longevity of your asphalt.

If your parking lot is beginning to show signs of needing professional attention and you need a team of asphalt maintenance professionals you can trust, make South Central Sealing & Paving your first call.

At South Central Sealing & Paving, our number one goal is to extend the lifespan of your parking lot. With more than 30 years of experience, we’re proud to offer a wide range of asphalt maintenance services for our Wichita customers. Whether you need crack and joint filling, sealcoating, slurry sealing, pothole repair, or something different, our team of experts uses state-of-the-art equipment to ensure your parking lot looks great and lasts longer.

We’re proud to be Wichita’s number one asphalt maintenance company, and we can’t wait to learn more about how we can help you. Give South Central Sealing & Paving a call today to learn more about our wide range of asphalt maintenance services and speak with one of our experts about which option is right for you.