Parking lots are just a fact of modern life – love them or hate them, dealing with parking lots is just part of the car-owning experience. But that doesn’t mean that parking lots need to be headache-inducing.

One of the most complained-about quirk of parking lots is parking lot repair – or lack thereof. Think about it — how many parking lots have you been to recently that’d you describe as “in good shape” or “nice to drive on”? Chances are, if you thought of one, that smooth parking lot of their’s positively impacted how you felt about that business. There’s no doubt about it — a good parking lot can make all the difference to you. And your customers.

With that in mind, could it be time to finally consider patching up your business’s old, worn parking lot? Or do you want to prevent your’s from wearing down over time? In this article, we’ll tell you all you need to know about parking lot repair, the most common uses that necessitate repair, and how repairs are done.

The Likely Suspects

If you answered “yes” to the idea of fixing up your lot, your lot is likely suffering from one or more common asphalt concrete-deterioration symptoms. These most-likely suspects are the same ones that plague roads, driveways, and pavement the nation over — potholes and cracks.

Potholes and cracks are caused by the gradual damage and deterioration of your asphalt with time and wear. As cars drive over your surface, and as the elements constantly bear down on your lot, the bonds that constitute your asphalt — the same bonds that give it its strength — slowly but unavoidably begin to break down. Whether it’s pressure from tires rolling over it, or UV radiation from the sun affecting your lot at the molecular level, asphalt parking lots are bound for wear and tear eventually.

While there are other, less common problems parking lots can face, like a sinking surface if your lot is built on unstable ground, potholes and cracks are the two likeliest causes of your lot’s issues. Knowing that, what can be done about it?

Fixing Up Your Parking Lot

So the time’s finally come to patch up your parking lot, where do you begin? Start by getting in touch with a parking lot repair expert. Without the proper tools parking lot repair is much more trouble than it’s worth — leave it to the professionals to bring your lot back to good health.

After finding yourself an expert that repairs parking lots, you may be curious as to what they actually do to your lot to getting looking back to normal again. In the case of potholes and cracks, here are a couple of the most common solutions parking lot repair experts will use:

Crack Seal

True to its name, asphalt crack sealing seals cracks that have formed in your parking lot. Given that the cracks are small enough in width, tar is poured over the crack to seal it off from the elements, and drastically slow its growth in the process. If your cracks are wide, or you suffer from potholes, you may consider…

Infrared Repair

Using a truck-mounted infrared applicator, new, hot asphalt is poured into a large crack or pothole while the old, cracked asphalt is re-heated to its melting point. The old and new asphalt, now both melted into a liquid, join together seamlessly where your pothole once was. Once it cools, you’re left with a nearly-indistinguishable repair that looks and feels like new asphalt.

What If Your Parking Lot Is Already In Good Shape?

It might be tempting to ignore the need for maintenance if your parking lot repair happened recently, or your lot is new or still-smooth. However, as is the case with all asphalt surfaces, damage is practically inevitable. Luckily, there are still steps you can take to prevent damage before it happens, and mitigate any damage that does occur.

Regular “check ups” by an asphalt expert can help you spot potential weak points in your parking lot. Your expert will recommend any preventative maintenance that can help stave off your next parking lot repair even longer.