If you have an asphalt parking lot that gets a lot of use, you may start to notice signs of wear pretty quickly. Leaked fluids from vehicles, general wear and tear from constant traffic, and even extreme weather conditions can all wreak havoc on your parking lot surface. With good maintenance, you can help extend the life of your parking lot's surface. If you leave problems such as fading, cracks, and potholes to become worse, your parking lot is going to completely fall apart much faster. When you repair cracks and fill in potholes, you will be able to have a great-looking parking lot without having to replace the entire thing right away.

Check Your Parking Lot for Fading

One of the first signs that your asphalt is beginning to deteriorate is that it will start to fade. In general, fading is a result of hours of exposure to harsh sunlight. When you notice that your parking lot is faded, you can apply a fresh coat of asphalt over the existing surface to give your parking lot a fresh new look. As long as the surface is intact, a quick coating of asphalt can make your parking lot look new again.

Cracks and Potholes Need to Be Repaired

Cracks and potholes occur from extreme weather conditions and from excessive use of your parking lot. If a heavy vehicle travels on your parking lot, this can cause immediate damage. If you ignore cracks and potholes, you will only create bigger problems. Cracks are easy to repair if you get to them when they aren't very wide. All you need to do is remove any grass, dirt, or debris that is in the crack and fill in the crack with liquid asphalt. Potholes require more extensive work, but they should be fixed right away to avoid damage to the substructure of your asphalt parking lot.

Consider Cleaning Your Parking Lot

If you use a lot of chemical products on your parking lot during the winter to remove snow and ice, it's important to clean your parking lot once the snow is gone. You can use a commercial street sweeper, which will remove dirt and debris. You can also hose down your parking lot to remove any remaining dirt. A clean parking lot will look well taken care of, and removing chemicals will help reduce the amount of damage the chemicals will cause over time.

For more information and advice, contact a parking lot paving company like Branche Industries.