Adding fresh asphalt pavement to your property enhances curb appeal and creates a safe place for people to walk and drive. Planning your initial paving project involved a lot of hard work that finally paid off, but now you may be wondering what to do now. New asphalt maintenance planning is easy when you lean on the support of experienced contractors. You can also use this guide to begin planning maintenance while waiting for the asphalt to cure.

What Types of Regular Asphalt Maintenance Are Required?

One of the first service that an Orange County asphalt maintenance company will suggest is sealcoating. After you’ve sealed the surface of your parking lot, you’ll then be ready to plan for these other essential maintenance services.

•Parking Lot Striping and Re-Striping
•Parking Lot Cleaning
•Crack Sealing
•Crack Repairs
•Traffic Signage Updates
•Concrete Repairs

How Often Should You Plan for Sealcoating?

Sealcoating is your first line of defense against oxidation and damage from corrosive substances. You’ll first need to wait for the asphalt to cure before applying the sealcoat. Once the pavement is installed, ask your asphalt maintenance contractor to help you plan for the first sealcoating service. They can help you identify the appropriate schedule for reapplying the sealant in future years. Although schedules vary, most property owners must plan for sealcoating every two to three years after the original application.

When Should You Plan for Other Asphalt Maintenance Services?

Daily maintenance for asphalt includes removing surface debris, and you may need to plan for power washing to remove deeper stains that set in over time. You can also perform a daily inspection during the cleanings, and scheduling annual inspections with a paving contractor helps you identify subtle signs of damage before they become more significant problems.

Most property owners do major crack repair work between sealcoating services. But you’ll need to plan to re-stripe after the sealant is applied. On most properties, pavement markings can last a few years before they must be redone, and traffic signage can be updated as required. Watching for signs of damage lets you know when you need to schedule services moving from maintenance to repairs, such as milling and overlays.

Find Out What to Do Next With a Custom Asphalt Maintenance Plan

Peterson Grading & Paving, Inc. is your one-stop shop for parking lot maintenance needs. On top of providing the best asphalt maintenance paving services, we’re here to help with sealcoating, crack repairs, parking lot striping, and line and marking removal. For more extensive maintenance and repair needs, our team can also assist you with planning for asphalt milling and overlays. Parking lot signage and bollard installation are available after we perform paving and repair services. Remember that we also provide concrete services, including curbing, parking lots, ramps, sidewalks, and repairs. To get a free quote on your project, call us at 949-402-6979, email ryan@GradePave.com, or fill out our online form today.

Asphalt paving is a fast and cost-effective way to create a smooth surface for parking lots, driveways, roads and more that is ready for traffic within a short period of time. A carefully planned asphalt pavement project should result in a beautiful surface that last for decades with proper maintenance. But, working with a poorly run company can leave you with less than stellar results. Asking these five questions helps you make sure that you follow the best course of action to achieve a successful paving project.

Do You Have Defined Goals for Your Asphalt Paving Project?

You obviously need asphalt pavement to create a smooth surface for drivers, bikers and pedestrians, but have you taken a moment to think about your other goals? You might be choosing to put in a parking lot to create more space for your company’s customers. Or, your paving project might be part of your plan to boost the value of your property before you sell. Sharing your goals with the contractor helps them create a plan that matches your needs.

Did You Thoroughly Vet the Asphalt Paving Company You Chose?

When it comes to Orange County asphalt paving, the company you hire has everything to do with the success of a project. Getting quotes is a great place to start with getting to know a paving contractor, but this isn’t all that you need to know about hiring a crew. You’ll also want to make sure that the contractors you hire have a strong reputation for doing quality work in the community.

Have You Made Sure the Asphalt Paving Site Has Good Drainage?

Orange County commercial paving can quickly become a problem when there is poor drainage. Before your paving company puts down the asphalt, you’ll want to check with them to see if there are any plans for creating proper drainage to prevent pooling. A reputable contractor will already be thinking about making sure that water runs smoothly away from the pavement when it rains.

Do You Have a Firm Understanding of the Contractor’s Plans?

Asphalt paving services can include a wide range of materials and techniques, which is why you’ll want to carefully check every detail of a quote. Once you’ve found the right company, they should be able to tell you how and why they might choose to make the pavement a certain depth or to use a specific type of asphalt mix. Companies that take a customized approach to each project tend to have higher success rates.

Do You Know How to Communicate With Your Asphalt Paving Company In Orange County?

Depending upon the size of your paving project, you could be working with a company over a period of several days or weeks. Lots of things can change during that time, and you need to know that your contractor will reach out to you if there is a delay and that you can contact them with questions. Finding a company that uses multiple communication methods is a sure sign that they care about customer satisfaction.

Kick Off a Successful Paving Project by Working With Experienced Contractors

Peterson Grading & Paving is known for paying close attention to every detail to ensure that every asphalt paving and asphalt repair project is a success. Our experienced contractors are also skilled at performing additional services such as asphalt milling, asphalt overlays, asphalt sealcoating and parking lot maintenance and signage installation. We can also assist with line and marking removal along with concrete repairs. To start the process of planning a successful paving project, all you have to do is call us at 949-402-6979, send an email to ryan@gradepave.com or fill out our online form for a free quote.

If you have an asphalt pavement, there is no better way to give it a longer life with fewer expensive repairs than applying asphalt sealcoating every two or three years. However, if the sealant flakes off, cracks, peels away, or fails to bond, your pavement will not be receiving the protection that it deserves. These common failures can be caused by a variety of factors, including application errors, pavement preparation, and weather conditions.

What Application Errors Can Cause Asphalt Sealcoating to Fail Prematurely?

Sealcoating should always be applied in thin coats, and each coat should be allowed to dry before the next one is applied. Some novice or unscrupulous asphalt maintenance contractors will try to speed things up by applying one thick coat of sealant instead. It is highly unlikely that a thick coat will cure properly. Furthermore, asphalt sealcoating contractors must prepare the sealant correctly for the application. If they do not, the sealant may be unable to create a strong bond with the pavement, or it may be too thin to serve any useful purpose.

How Does the Preparation of an Asphalt Pavement Impact the Success of a Sealcoating Job?

Whether they are painting houses or sealcoating parking lot pavements, experienced professionals know that they must prepare the surface first. When performing asphalt sealcoating Orange County contractors know that they need to ensure that the pavement has been adequately prepared.

• The pavement must be as clean as possible so that there is nothing to interfere with the establishment of a strong bond. This means that there cannot be loose gravel, dirt, dead leaves, trash, or any other debris that will come between the sealant and the pavement.
• Oil and other vehicle fluids need to be thoroughly cleaned. In some cases, these spots may need to have a primer applied prior to sealing.
• Potholes, alligatored asphalt, and other damage must be repaired before the sealant can be applied. Many parking lot maintenance companies that offer asphalt sealing also offer crack repairs and asphalt patching, so you might want to consider choosing a contractor who can provide you with all the services you will need.
• High-traffic areas can sometimes suffer from a condition known as aggregate polishing. Sealants cannot bond to smooth, exposed stones or rocks, so these areas will typically need a primer applied first.
• A new pavement needs to be sufficiently cured prior to sealing. Otherwise, the asphalt will contain too much oil to allow bonding to occur. Typically, a parking lot paving company in Orange County will recommend waiting for at least three months before sealing a new pavement. In some cases, the waiting time could be longer, but it should not exceed 12 months. Asphalt sealcoating contractors must know how to determine whether the pavement is ready to be sealed if the application is to be successful.

How Do Weather Conditions Affect Asphalt Sealcoating?

The weather can sometimes make asphalt sealcoating Orange County pavements tricky. Sealants cure faster when the temperature is above 65 degrees Fahrenheit, the humidity is below 50%, the skies are not overcast, and the wind is light and steady. If the temperature is below 50 degrees, or if there is a heavy cloud cover, curing will take longer, and there is a possibility that the sealant will never cure properly. Furthermore, any rain that falls within 24 hours of the application could cause the sealant to fail.

For Exceptional Work, Trust Your Pavement to Peterson Grading and Paving

Peterson Grading & Paving specializes in pavement installation, maintenance, and repair with a wide range of services, including sealcoating, asphalt paving, concrete installation, asphalt repairs, parking lot striping, asphalt overlays, concrete repair, bollard installation, line removal, and asphalt crack repairs. We have an exemplary reputation for outstanding workmanship and superior customer service. We offer free quotes, so submit the online form, call 949-402-6979, or email Ryan@GradePave.com to request yours today.

No pavement can remain in pristine condition forever, and an asphalt pavement is no exception. Sooner or later, you will begin to notice signs of deterioration or damage. This is perfectly normal and to be expected. What is critical, however, is what you do when you need asphalt repairs. Delaying essential repairs can end up costing you a boatload of money in ways that you might not expect.

What Do Paving Professionals Classify as Asphalt Repairs?

Although every experienced parking lot paving contractor understands the meaning and various names of all the different procedures, there is less consensus when it comes to classifying them as repairs, routine maintenance, or paving. For example, some contractors consider asphalt resurfacing as an asphalt paving procedure, but other contractors classify it as parking lot maintenance & repair. To simplify matters, the following list consists of asphalt repair procedures to correct problems that can impact the safety or structural integrity of a pavement.

• Pot hole repair typically requires a technique known as asphalt patching to rebuild the hollowed-out pavement.
• Asphalt patching can also be used to repair areas that are suffering from alligator cracking.
• An Orange County asphalt repair contractor may sometimes install an overlay to mend damage that is too extensive to make patching cost-effective, but which is not extensive enough to justify resurfacing the entire pavement.
• Crack repairs are usually considered as maintenance procedures by asphalt paving Orange County professionals. However, they are included on this list because cracks are almost always the starting point for alligator cracking, potholes, and other severe damage.

What Are the Potential Financial Repercussions of Neglecting Repairs?

There are quite a number of ways that deferring your asphalt repair could potentially impact your finances. Here are four of the most common ways that you could experience financial repercussions.

1. Your pavement will suffer increasingly severe damage that will be much more expensive to repair in the long run. If you neglect repairs long enough, your pavement could have its useful life drastically reduced, so a parking lot that should have lasted 25 or 30 years, for example, could require a complete replacement in 10 or 12 years.
2. You could be cited for failure to comply with accessibility regulations. The Americans with Disabilities Act includes stringent requirements for pavements in accessible parking spaces, along accessible paths, and at accessible entrances. Large cracks, potholes, soft spots, and depressions could conceivably be construed as obstacles for people with mobility issues.
3. You could face lawsuits, insurance claims, or fines if anyone damages their vehicles or suffers an injury on your property. Employees, customers, delivery drivers, tenants and their customers or employees, service technicians, and virtually any visitor could potentially hold you responsible for their medical bills, lost wages, property damage, or other costs.
4. You could lose customers or tenants. Whether you manage a restaurant, an apartment complex, a shopping center or retail store, or an office park, your income could decline if people fear that your pavements pose risks to themselves or their vehicles.

Whether you need asphalt paving, concrete installation, concrete repair, parking lot striping, sealcoating, bollards, warehouse striping, asphalt resurfacing, pavement markings, shot blasting, traffic signage, ADA compliance assistance, asphalt milling, line removal, pot hole repair, or asphalt patching, you can count on Peterson Grading & Paving for help. We are an experienced Orange County paving company with an exemplary reputation and impeccable references. We serve clients in Anaheim, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Orange, Santa Ana, and other communities in the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura. You can request a free quote over the phone by calling 949-402-6979, or you can fill out the online form.

Asphalt pavements can survive decades of use if given adequate care, but they are not eternal. At some point, you are bound to discover that numerous repairs, intermittent maintenance, or exposure to the elements may have left your pavement looking unattractive or presenting safety risks. When you do, your first thought may be that it is time to have a paving contractor tear out your old, tired pavement and reconstruct it. Before you do, you might want to consider a speedier, more economical option that can provide you with a resurfaced pavement that few people will be able to differentiate from a new one. Asphalt overlays can be an ideal solution for many structurally sound pavements that just need a surface rejuvenation.

What Are Asphalt Overlays?

An asphalt overlay is a layer of asphalt paving that is installed as part of a pavement resurfacing project. Although overlays are more commonly applied to asphalt pavements, some concrete pavements are also suitable for overlaying. Interstate highways, residential driveways, urban and suburban thoroughfares, and parking lots are just some of the types of pavements on which commercial paving contractors can install an overlay.

What Is the Connection Between Asphalt Overlays and Edge Milling?

Typically, when overlaying asphalt paving Orange County contractors use milling machines to remove the existing pavement to a depth equal to the thickness of the overlay, which is usually around three inches. Edge milling ensures that curb reveals, gutters, transitions, drain grates, and other features remain at their correct heights in relation to the surface of the pavement. Without edge milling, these features would be recessed, making for a rough ride and posing potential tripping hazards. In addition, transitions and curb ramps would likely fail to comply with the regulations contained in the Americans with Disabilities Act.

What Are the Requirements for a Successful Asphalt Overlay Installation?

In theory, an asphalt contractor could place an overlay on virtually any pavement, but the results would be short-lived, unsightly, or both unless certain requirements are met. One is that the pavement has a relatively stable and strong foundation. Another requirement for pavement resurfacing success is that any necessary repairs to the pavement are completed first. If the pavement has suffered unusually rapid damage or premature deterioration, the cause should be identified to prevent the damage from happening to the overlay. If pavement or foundation damage is extensive, reconstruction may be more cost-effective than resurfacing. Typically, a parking lot paving contractor, for example, will recommend rebuilding the pavement instead of overlaying it if the damage affects more than about 30% of the pavement’s total square footage.

For an Asphalt Contractor You Can Trust, Contact Peterson Grading & Paving

Peterson Grading & Paving is full-service commercial paving company with an immaculate reputation for consistently providing high-quality work and superior customer service throughout Orange County and California. Our services include asphalt paving and overlaying, parking lot striping, asphalt milling, concrete paving and repair, asphalt sealcoating, marking removal, parking lot signs, asphalt crack repair, shot blasting, asphalt repair, bollards, and warehouse striping. To request a free quote, you can submit the online form, email Ryan@GradePave.com, or call 949-402-6979.