As any experienced paving contractor can tell you, neglecting an asphalt repair typically means that you will be in for a much more expensive procedure in the future. A small pothole can turn into a crater, a few alligator cracks can spread to a much larger area, and water infiltration can erode the foundation on which your pavement rests. The sooner you repair a pavement break, the less likely you are to need to increase your budget for repairing your asphalt pavement. Because contractors stress the importance of timely repairs, many people are not sure why they do not want to make a repair in rainy weather.

Is There a Problem Performing an Asphalt Repair in the Rain?

Potentially, there is a major problem making a parking lot repair or street repair in the rain. Although a light mist is unlikely to have serious repercussions on the quality of Orange County paving, a heavy rainfall can completely ruin the repair. Most commercial paving contractors use hot mix asphalt to make permanent repairs. Raindrops can leave their marks on hot asphalt that has not yet cured, or the rain can cool the hot asphalt too quickly for workers to place and compact it properly. Asphalt is highly resistant to water, which is primarily due to the oils contained in the mix. A pounding rain can exert enough pressure to force those oils to the pavement’s surface. The result is typically the development of holes, cracks, or even potholes. Although unsightly, the real problem is that a damaged repair is a short-lived repair.

What Is Considered an Asphalt Repair?

A paving contractor Orange County businesses use may define asphalt repairs differently from a paving contractor in Maine, Florida, or Texas. Typically, a parking lot repair will involve the use of some type of asphalt patching, and hot mix asphalt is the preferred option for a patching material. Asphalt sealcoating, crack repairs, pavement cleaning, and similar procedures are usually classified as maintenance services. Overlays are often considered asphalt paving services, but some contractors may classify them as repairs.

Do Asphalt Repairs Require Maintenance?

An asphalt patch should receive the same care as the rest of the pavement. You should apply asphalt sealcoating, remove automotive fluids, and promptly repair any cracks that might develop. If the patch is a parking lot repair, you can apply pavement markings and stripes as needed. You should avoid placing heavy, stationary loads on the patch, and the repair, just like the rest of your pavement, should not be subjected to heavier vehicles than the pavement was engineered to support.

To Whom Should I Turn for an Asphalt Parking Lot Repair?

Peterson Paving & Grading is the paving contractor Orange County businesses trust for exceptional results at affordable prices. We serve clients in many different industries, including facility managers, hotels, homeowner associations, educational facilities, condominiums, churches, and property management firms. Our asphalt paving services include repairs, new installations, sealcoating, milling, asphalt overlays, and crack repairs. We also install concrete sidewalks, curbs, ramps, and parking lots. In addition, we offer ADA compliance, warehouse striping, line removal, shot blasting, bollard installation, marking removal, parking lot signage, and parking lot striping. When you need the best, contact us for a free quote. You can call our office at 949-402-6979, submit our request form online, or send an email to Ryan@GradePave.com.

If you were to overhear a group of contractors discussing asphalt paving, you would probably find that some of the terms they use are a complete mystery to you. However, you may also discover that some terms do not have the same meanings as they do in other settings. For example, you have probably said or written binder and topcoat dozens of times, but asphalt professionals are not talking about a notebook or an outerwear garment when they use the terms. To translate these terms, it might be helpful to discuss how an asphalt pavement is constructed.

How Does a Contractor Install New Asphalt Paving?

Although there can be some minor variations, commercial paving contractors typically start by compacting the soil that will be under the pavement. Next, the asphalt contractor constructs a base that is made from gravel, stones, or crushed rocks, and each piece will have been sieved to include only those aggregate pieces that meet the size requirements specified by the paving engineer. The asphalt paving company will then install the binder, also known as the base coat, several more layers of asphalt, and finally the topcoat or surface course.

What Is the Binder in Asphalt Paving Terminology?

The binder is called the base coat because it lies at the bottom of the pavement’s structure. It is the first course of asphalt installed, and it rests on the aggregate base. It also contains aggregates that are larger in size than the aggregates in all other asphalt layers. Most Orange County asphalt paving contractors use aggregates measuring around three-fourths of an inch in the asphalt mix for a base coat.

What Is an Asphalt Pavement’s Topcoat?

The topcoat or surface course, which can sometimes be called the finishing course or driving course, is the layer of asphalt that everyone sees when they look at an asphalt pavement. Topcoats are designed to provide a smooth, quiet ride as well as aesthetic appeal. Your paving contractor will use the smallest aggregates for the topcoat.

Why Are Binders and Topcoats Important?

Every reputable paving contractor should know that an asphalt pavement needs a strong, stable base so that the pavement can survive the weight of traffic, temperature fluctuations, and exposure to potentially damaging forces. A well-built binder can strengthen the aggregate base as well as the rest of the structure. The surface course also needs to be strong, but it must be smooth as well. If the surface course fails, it may be possible to repair it or install an asphalt overlay, thereby salvaging the pavement without incurring the expense of rebuilding it. However, if the base coat fails, there is no easy or cheap way to repair it. A repair typically requires the removal of the existing asphalt pavement, then repaving the area after the base is repaired.

Let Peterson Grading & Paving Answer Your Pavement-Related Questions

Over the years, we have built an exemplary reputation for remarkable craftsmanship, true integrity, unmatched customer service, and genuine professionalism. Peterson Grading & Paving offers a full range of paving services, including asphalt overlay installation, paving, parking lot striping, shot blasting, parking lot signage, marking removal, warehouse striping, line removal, asphalt crack repairs, bollard installation, concrete repairs, asphalt milling, ADA compliance, and asphalt repairs. If you are interested in a free quote, use our online request form, call 949-402-6979, or email Ryan@GradePave.com.

You may already know that asphalt sealcoating is an extremely effective way to help ensure a long, beautiful, trouble-free life for your pavement. However, you might not know the factors that contractors must consider when they give you a quote to sealcoat your pavement. To produce an accurate quote, contractors need to visit your site so that they can evaluate numerous factors, including the location, pavement size and layout, pavement condition, and pavement use.

How Might My Location Affect the Cost of My Asphalt Sealcoating Job?

Asphalt sealcoating contractors typically store their supplies, equipment, and tools in a secure location next to their offices. When they are ready to start a job, they will incur expenses to move everything from the yard to the site, and they normally provide the transportation for their crew members also. The distance between the site and the contractor’s yard is the primary factor affecting mobilization costs, but it is not the only one. Asphalt companies in Orange County can face the same congested traffic that other drivers routinely encounter in certain areas, which can dramatically lengthen their commute time. This is also true if the site is in a remote location with roads that are in poor condition or that have excessively low speed limits. Most crew members of asphalt maintenance contractors are hourly employees, and they are on the clock when commuting between the yard and the job. Between the wear and tear on the vehicles, the price of fuel, and the labor costs, it only makes sense that increasing the distance can also increase the price that the contractor must charge.

How Does the Size and Layout Impact Parking Lot Sealcoating?

A gallon of sealant can only cover a finite number of square feet, and any attempt to stretch the coverage beyond that point will result in a subpar job. However, many parking lots are not simply an unbroken expanse of pavement. There may be numerous structures on or near the parking lot, landscaping islands on every traffic aisle, light poles, cart corrals, trash bins, or other obstacles that will require special attention.

How Might the Condition of the Pavement Affect the Cost for Asphalt Sealcoating?

There is a great deal of prep work that asphalt sealcoating contractors must deal with before they can apply a sealcoat. They must clean the pavement to remove intrusive vegetation, dirt, piles of gravel, and other debris. Potholes and cracks need to be mended, so the cost of your parking lot repair will be added to the cost of the sealcoating job. If it is necessary to apply a primer to cover stains left by automotive fluids, this may increase your cost as well.

How Does Pavement Use Impact the Price for Asphalt Parking Lot Sealcoating?

When your paving company designed your pavement, the number and weight of vehicles that were expected to use the pavement on an average day had to be considered to determine the appropriate construction of the pavement and its foundation. If the asphalt layers were too thin to support the traffic, the pavement would quickly incur damage, leading to a reduction in its life. Similarly, contractors evaluate a pavement’s use to determine the number of coats needed as well as the best type of sealant for that particular pavement. Two coats are typically the norm for parking lots, but exceptionally busy lots may need a third coat in areas where vehicles are heavier or more numerous. Furthermore, sealant manufacturers produce a variety of sealcoats that have special or enhanced properties that can be advantageous if your pavement is subjected to certain types of use.

Contact Peterson Grading & Paving to Explore Your Options

We offer a full range of commercial paving services to clients throughout California. Our services include parking lot repair, asphalt paving, parking lot striping, wheel stops, traffic signs, sealcoating, bollard installation, asphalt overlays, concrete work, line removal, epoxy coatings, warehouse striping, and asphalt milling. We have an impeccable reputation for integrity, workmanship, and customer service. We offer free quotes, so use the online form, email Ryan@GradePave.com, or call 949-402-6979 to submit your request.

Of all the things that you can do to prolong the life of your asphalt pavement, no single procedure is as effective and economical as sealcoating. Asphalt sealants are designed to create a shell over the pavement to block the sun’s rays, water, automotive fluids, and other things that can damage your pavement. To ensure maximum protection, you need to have a professional repeat the sealcoating procedure periodically. During this procedure, there are five mistakes that you never want to see your sealcoating contractor make. They relate to the preparation of the site, the cleaning of the pavement, the preparation of the sealant mix, the repair of the pavement, and the application of the sealant.

What Should a Contractor Do When Preparing a Site for Asphalt Sealcoating?

Whether the project is asphalt parking lot sealcoating, driveway sealcoating, or street sealcoating, there are certain things that contractors need to do to ensure efficiency and safety. Depending on the site, preparation may involve working with the property manager to notify residents or employees that they will need to park in a different location, erecting barriers and other traffic control measures, or trimming vegetation that intrudes into the work area. Failing to prepare the site properly can prevent the contractor’s crew from being able to access all areas safely, or it can result in potential damage to nearby cars, buildings, or landscaping.

What Mistakes Might a Sealcoating Contractor Make When Cleaning a Pavement?

The biggest mistake would be to not clean the pavement at all. Even if a pavement looks spotless, there is usually an invisible film that will prevent the parking lot sealcoat from bonding properly. Another mistake that some inexperienced asphalt maintenance contractors make is to not allow the pavement to dry adequately after cleaning before the sealcoating is applied.

What Mistakes Might a Sealcoating and Paving Company Make When Mixing a Sealant?

Sealcoating manufacturers provide a recipe for creating a liquid for application. The recipe includes a precise ratio of the concentrated sealant, water, and sand. Whether they do it intentionally or accidentally, some contractors reduce the amount of sand or increase the amount of water, and this can make it appear that the sealant covers more pavement. However, the resulting mix will be too thin to last or protect as it should.

Why Are Pavement Repairs Important for Asphalt Sealcoating?

When they hire a contractor to perform asphalt parking lot sealcoating, some people assume that the sealcoating will seal any existing cracks, but this is not true. Although it is true that sealcoating will usually conceal hairline cracks and other minor imperfections, it is not capable of repairing a true pavement crack. Sealcoating over breaks in the pavement will not prevent water infiltration, which is the leading cause of alligator cracking and other damages that will require an asphalt removal and replacement procedure.

What Mistakes Might a Sealcoating Contractor Make When Applying the Sealant?

When your asphalt paving company built your pavement, you were probably advised to delay sealcoating until the asphalt was sufficiently cured, and the contractor likely told you how long curing would take. However, prior to sealcoating a pavement for the first time, competent contractors check to verify that the asphalt has cured. If you do not have a new pavement, application errors are more likely to involve choosing the wrong method or applying the sealant too thickly. For example, there may be some areas that require applying the sealant by hand, but attempting to sealcoat a large, unobstructed area by hand would be time-consuming, and the thickness would probably be quite uneven.

When You Need to Avoid Mistakes, Trust Your Work to Peterson Grading & Paving

We understand that it is essential to obtain the most value for your money, and we are committed to helping you do just that through our craftsmanship, customer service, and reasonable prices. Peterson Grading & Paving offers an extensive range of paving services, including asphalt sealcoating, asphalt paving and resurfacing, concrete ramp and sidewalk installation, asphalt crack repair, concrete parking lot construction, bollard installation, concrete curbing, epoxy coating, line and marking removal, concrete repair, warehouse striping, asphalt milling, and parking lot striping. We serve clients throughout Orange County and the rest of California. For a free quote, submit the online form, send an email to Ryan@GradePave.com, or call 949-402-6979.

There are some people who actually enjoy working up estimated costs, moving numbers around, and handling all of the other tasks that go into the creation of a budget. There are other people who find budget planning stressful, confusing, and time-consuming. Regardless of whether you loathe or enjoy budget planning, when you reach the section for your asphalt paving, you may be entering territory that is new to you. If so, you can make your task easier by remembering the acronym POMAR, which stands for proactively observing, maintaining, and repairing, when you think about your pavement.

Budget Planning Tips for Asphalt Paving

What Does Proactively Observing My Asphalt Paving Mean?

You cannot address issues unless you know that they exist. When people see anything, including an asphalt pavement, every day, they tend to see what they expect to see until a change becomes too obvious to miss. You do not want to overlook a crack until you trip over it, and you do not want to discover that the oil stains you failed to notice have turned into potholes. Whether you hire an Orange County paving contractor to inspect your pavement or do it yourself, someone needs to walk around your parking lot every six months to observe its condition. Make a written, photographic, or oral record of any current or potential issue, its location, and the reason for your concern.

What Does Proactively Maintaining My Asphalt Pavement Mean?

Like a car, an asphalt pavement can benefit from both routine and preventive maintenance. Routine maintenance for a car would include washing its exterior, and preventive maintenance would include having its oil changed regularly. Routine maintenance for an asphalt pavement includes removing debris, cleaning up puddles of oil or other vehicle fluids, and having your contractor repaint worn or damaged pavement markings. Preventive maintenance for an asphalt pavement includes having your contractor repair minor cracks before they grow, sealcoating your pavement periodically, and addressing any drainage issues that might manifest. Your sealcoating contractor may be able to handle your minor crack repairs, asphalt sealing, and pavement markings, and this may save you time and a little money.

What Does Proactively Repairing My Asphalt Paving Mean?

When problems develop, they will continue to worsen until they are addressed. What starts as a minor crack can turn into a major break, spawning additional cracks and potholes. Patches of pavement may develop alligator cracking, and the damage keeps mounting until your entire pavement could be compromised. Nature can also inflict damage within days or even hours. Droughts can cause the soil under your pavement to shrink, allowing your unsupported pavement to subside. Even a minor quake can cause sufficient ground movement to damage a pavement. Furthermore, although reputable asphalt contractors rarely botch an installation, you cannot rule out that possibility entirely. Regardless of the cause, you should not delay repairs if you want to save your pavement.

How Does the Above Information Help Me Plan My Asphalt Pavement Budget?

It is now time to put the information to good use in your budget planning. Most asphalt companies in Orange County would be happy to assist you in determining the proper intervals for your maintenance procedures, which may not be the same for every pavement. What follows are some general guidelines for a typical parking lot receiving an average amount of traffic.

1. Your parking lot should be swept at least monthly, and weekly sweepings would be even better in many cases.
2. Have minor cracks repaired and vehicle fluids removed at least once a year. If your paving company told you to wait for the new asphalt to cure before sealcoating, have oil and other fluids removed every two to three months during this time.
3. Plan to have your sealcoating contractor apply fresh sealant every two years. Make sure that you include in your budget the cost of repainting your stripes and markings every time you apply sealcoating.
4. Create a reserve account in your annual budget to hold the funds for an asphalt overlay about every 12 years. Asphalt overlays are cost-effective ways to give pavements a new surface that functions and looks virtually the same as a rebuilt pavement, but they are significantly more economical.
5. Be sure to budget for the seemingly trivial things that can add up quickly. These include replacing faded or damaged traffic signs, broken or misaligned car stops, and damaged curbing. If applicable, you might want to include evaluations to ensure your parking lot complies with ADA and fire code regulations, the removal of debris from your parking lot drains, and the repair or replacement of grates over catch basins, trenches, or drains.

Peterson Grading & Paving offers a full line of paving services for installing, maintaining, and repairing asphalt pavements, including crack repairs, paving, sealcoating, patching, milling, and asphalt resurfacing. We also offer parking lot striping, line removal, parking lot signs, marking removal, and parking lot maintenance plans. In addition, we offer warehouse striping, bollard installation, and shot blasting, and we install and repair concrete parking lots, concrete sidewalks, concrete curbing, and concrete ramps. We are widely known for the exceptional quality of our work, our superb customer service, and our extremely reasonable prices. Submit the online form to request a free quote, or you can call 949-402-6979.