Your parking lot is the first foot mat in the car park that visitors to your company or property will step on, so why not put your best foot forward?
The consequences of poor asphalt pavement maintenance increase over time, especially when the cracks become more noticeable. They result in potholes, loss of customers, or even personal injury lawsuits.
Gaddes Strategic Asphalt Patching Services in West Nashville, TN, has a variety of asphalt repair services to solve your potholes, asphalt cracks, line striping, and other pavement needs.
But first, this article will inform you about the consequences of asphalt cracks in parking lots and how to choose the best asphalt repair service in West Nashville, TN.
When Do Potholes Form?
A pothole is any slope or deviation in the smooth surface of a paved road.
Potholes start when water seeps through cracks caused by the wear and tear of traffic. As temperatures drop, the water freezes and expands, thus forcing the pavement to rise.
The continued traffic on these stretches of the road causes sinkholes known as potholes.
To make matters worse, every time a car drives over the now weakened surface, the weight of the vehicle continues to break down the pavement even more.
At this point, the surface pieces can break off and move altogether. Once that happens, a pothole forms.
In addition to the terrible image they give the surrounding, The park itself becomes a threat to cause tire blowouts, wheel damage, accidents, and injuries.
A person injured in a pothole accident has the right to receive compensation from the authority responsible for maintaining the pavement.
All that negligence may lead to hiring an attorney, court visits, and a lot of legal liabilities, which you can avoid.
On the other hand, even in case of no accidents, hitting a pothole leaves vehicle users with horrible car damage and a severe blow to their wallets. And you don’t want that for your customers, or do you?. Hence why we’ve listed some problems potholes can cause:
1. Tires:
The tires are the most susceptible part of the car when it comes to potholes. Several common pothole-related problems include punctures, sidewall bulges, and tread separation. A pothole might also jar your alignment, causing your tires to wear unevenly or damage your rims if the pothole is large or deep.
2. Suspension:
This piece is fundamental to absorbing shocks. However, it has a limit in its resistance. Falling into a pothole can cause misalignment or break any parts that make up the suspension. You can notice these damages if the car does not maintain a straight line when the steering wheel is centered, with unusual vibrations, or with uneven tire wear.
3. Exhaust:
The exhaust is constantly visible to shocks due to its placement along the car’s drive train. If damaged by pavement, the vehicle will begin to make strange noises and could release polluting gasses without any control.
4. Bodywork:
This may be the least severe damage, but many owners like their cars to look good. The lower the vehicle, the more likely the fenders or fascias will hit the pavement when hitting a pothole giving people who care about their car’s aesthetics a problem.
What are the Different Asphalt Cracks Found in Parking Lots?
There are several types of asphalt cracks, and they all have different ways of repairing them. This section explains the most common types of cracks so you can quickly identify them.
Fatigue Cracks: These are a series of interconnected cracks with irregular patterns, generally located in areas where there are load repetitions. The cracking tends to start at the bottom of the asphalt layers, where the tensile stresses are more significant under the action of loads, where they develop a resemblance to crocodile skin. This damage is not typical in asphalt layers placed on concrete pavements.
Block cracks: In this type of failure, the asphalt surface will be part into blocks of a more or less rectangular shape. This deterioration differs from crocodile skin in that it appears in loaded areas, while blocks usually appear in unloaded areas. However, block cracks can be found that have evolved into crocodile skin due to traffic.
Edge cracks: Edge cracks are longitudinal cracks located near the edge of the roadway. They are generally found within a strip parallel to the edge, with a width of up to 0.60 m2. They typically occur due to the absence of the difference in level between the berm and the roadway.
Longitudinal and transverse fissures and cracks: These cracks correspond to discontinuities in the asphalt layer in the same direction of traffic. They indicate the existence of tensile stresses, asphalt shrinkage, a poorly constructed joint, and longitudinal segregation.
Reflection cracks: Typically these cracks are formed over joints or previous cracks in the pavement or over the surface of an old, degenerated pavement.
Slippage cracks: Crescent cracks typically occur when a weak asphalt mix or poor adhesion between the pavement layers. This happens because of the pressure applied from the turning or braking of vehicles.
How do you fix cracks in asphalt parking lots?
Very often, superficial cracks in the parking lot surface can cause the crumbling of a larger area, resulting in the formation of hollows, holes, and deep crevices.
Asphalt Crack Filler
You may benefit by using an asphalt crack filler for minor repairs if you have small cracks in your commercial parking lot. This is a better alternative for minor property damage and can provide a cost-effective remedy to further damage.
How to apply asphalt crack filler
Asphalt crack filler can be applied in a number of ways. The most common method is to simply pour the material into the crack or crevice that needs to be filled. However, there are also specialized applicators that can be used to apply the material more evenly. It is important to make sure that the material is applied evenly so that it will not run off when it rains or snow melts.
Infrared Asphalt Patching
Infrared asphalt patching is a process of repairing damage to asphalt pavement using infrared technology. This type of repair is often used to fix potholes, small cracks, and other forms of damage. The process works by heating the damaged area with an infrared heater, which then allows the operator to make repairs as needed. This method has seamless repairs, which makes it much less noticeable than traditional asphalt repair methods. Additionally, infrared asphalt patching can be completed in a shorter amount of time than other methods, making it a more efficient option for busy paving contractors.
Hot Asphalt Patching
Hot asphalt patching (full-depth patching) is a permanent solution to severe cracking and potholes in parking lots. The method removes excavated material from the damaged area to repair. The result is a durable, long-lasting repair that will not unravel or degrade like other types of patching methods.
Hot asphalt patching is used to repair alligator cracking, potholes, utility cuts, and large cracks. The process begins with squaring up, saw-cutting, and cleaning the debris from the crack or hole. Next, the area is filled with hot asphalt binder, which helps bind the patch together and prevent further cracking. Finally, a top layer of hot asphalt is applied and rolled with a steel-drum roller to help seal the patch to make a smooth surface.
Asphalt Sealcoating
asphalt sealcoating is the process of applying a protective coating to asphalt-based pavements to provide a layer of protection from the elements. The purpose of sealcoating is to extend the life of the pavement by protecting it from the sun’s ultraviolet rays, rain, and snow.
Sealcoating is typically done every two to three years, but the frequency can vary depending on the location and type of pavement. Sealcoating is most effective when it is applied to the pavement that is in good condition. Before sealcoating, any cracks or potholes must be repaired so that they are not visible after the seal coat has been applied.
Parking Lot Striping
Parking lot striping is the process of painting or applying pavement markings to a parking lot to delineate parking spaces and other areas. Parking lot striping is typically done using paint, but other materials such as tape or decals can also be used.
There are a variety of reasons why parking lot striping is essential. First, it helps to ensure that vehicles are parked in the correct spaces and not block fire lanes or other areas that need to remain precise. Second, parking lot striping can help improve the overall appearance of a parking lot and make it more user-friendly. Finally, parking lot striping can help to increase safety by making it easier for drivers to see where they should and should not be driving.
Conclusion
Potholes, cracks, and uneven surfaces can cause serious litigation against a commercial property owner in premises liability settlements or lawsuits.
Anyone involved in a pedestrian or car injury around your parking lot may go to court, which is financially devasting to businesses.
In contrast, Asphalt Patching Services in West Nashville, TN, is cheaper and more convenient than court visits.
And while businesses may want to avoid these lawsuits as soon as possible, patching an asphalt parking lot isn’t a DIY project. You will need a professional asphalt patching contractor for these services.
Asphalt Patching Markets We Serve
- Shopping Centers
- Property/Facility Managers
- Places Of Worship
- Healthcare Facilities/Hospitals
- Multi-Family
- Single Owner Commercial/Industrial Properties
- New Construction/Private Roads
- Mobile Home Parks
- Campgrounds
- Office Buildings
- City Jobs
- Restaurants
- Strip Malls
- Gas stations
- HOA’s
- Mobile home parks
- Home Builders
- Plumbers
- And more!
Service Areas for Asphalt Patching in West Nashville and Surrounding Areas
Gaddes Strategic, LLC Services to the cities and local communities in Davidson County, TN, as well as other surrounding areas upon request:
Nashville TN, Antioch TN, Bellevue TN, Belle Meade TN, Davidson County TN, Goodlettsville TN, Whites Creek TN, Joelton TN, Old Hickory TN, Madison TN, Hermitage TN, East Nashville, Donelson TN, Green Hills, West Nashville any more!