An Attractive Driveway

An asphalt surface on your property provides you with convenient and smooth access for vehicles, whether it is your family members or customers and vendors at your business. A well-built asphalt pavement not only lasts for a long time, but it looks attractive and improves the exterior appearance of any building. Here are some important factors to consider in the installation of your asphalt parking lot to make sure it's completed to have long-term success.

Prepare a Durable Base

Just as with any foundation or base, the foundation of your asphalt pavement needs to be prepared so that it is stable and provides drainage for the space below your asphalt's top layer. When a foundation has issues with moisture drainage and seepage, it will wash out the soil and foundation materials, that will result in voids appearing and the asphalt layer sinking and cracking to failure. When you have to repair a sunken and cracked asphalt top layer because of a damaged foundation, you need to remove the entire top layer and the foundation and build it up properly. 

Your asphalt professional will evaluate your foundation material on site where they will install the pavement to decide if it needs to be supported with additions to the existing soil. For example, if there is excessive sand and moisture with a high water table or if the soil has sulfates within the make-up, your asphalt crew will need to prepare the site with the addition of compacted gravel or crushed concrete gravel. 

Look Out For Proper Drainage

Drainage in your asphalt driveway or parking area is another important feature of your pavement. If your pavement has sunken spots that collect water that pools, the surface will eventually get worn down and eroded. However, if the pavement is slightly sloped to one side or into an area where a drain is installed, it will prevent surface pooling and protect your pavement's surface. 

If you don't have drainage installed in a parking area or a slope to your driveway, ask your asphalt professional to evaluate the asphalt and install one needed for the best protection. They may need to install a French drain below the pavement to enable central drainage or a central peak can be added to the surface of the driveway for the precipitation to flow off the sides. Additionally, it is essential that the edges of your paving are protected with either sloped edges formed at a 90 degree angle. Otherwise you can install concrete curbing to support the edges of the pavement.

Start your parking lot paving project today.