The Ultimate Asphalt Maintenance Plan
A comprehensive guide for evaluating, budgeting, planning and taking action
What is asphalt maintenance and how is it beneficial to me?
Asphalt Maintenance is the process of preserving your asphalt surface in order to maximize its life span. If implemented correctly, an asphalt maintenance plan will save you thousands of dollars in future repairs and keep your parking lot (or other asphalt surface) looking up to par. We will guide you thru the process from evaluating the current state of your asphalt surface to budgeting and implementing a comprehensive maintenance plan.
PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE: UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT TYPES
By understanding the different phases of asphalt maintenance, you will be able to evaluate and budget accordingly. This is also a measure of urgency. There are three main types of asphalt maintenance:
1. Preventative Parking Lot Maintenance $ – keeps problems from emerging (not urgent)
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Seal Coating
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Minor Crack Fill
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Line Striping
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Minor Patching
2. Corrective Parking Lot Maintenance $$ – corrects problems that have emerged (urgent)
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Major Crack Filling
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Pot Hole Repair
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Sink Hole Repair
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Patch Repair
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Spot Mill & Overlay
3. Major Asphatl Repairs vs Rip Out & Replace
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Major Patch Repair
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Asphalt Milling & Overlay
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Paving Fabric
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Remove & Replace
Preventative Maintenance is used to keep problems from emerging, while Corrective Maintenance corrects problems that have already emerged. Preventative Maintenance should be done routinely, whereas Corrective Maintenance is done on an as needed basis. If Preventative Maintenance is done properly, it should keep the costlier Corrective Maintenance issues from arising. Eventually, the asphalt surface will corrode entirely and Major Repairs will be necessary. These repairs are necessary and can be very costly, especially if an asphalt maintenance budget has not been implemented.
EVALUATING FOR ASPHALT MAINTENANCE
The best time to evaluate your surface is in the Spring and Fall. By evaluating in the Fall, you will be able to start budgeting for the coming year’s repairs and have a good idea of what types of maintenance need to be done. If there are issues which need Corrective Maintenance, you will still have time for emergency repairs before winter arrives. The most important evaluation is in the Spring. Since you have already been budgeting for future repairs since Fall, you can now begin to collect estimates and identify any other issues that may have been created over the winter.
PLANNING FOR ASPHALT MAINTENANCE
Once evaluated, it is time to make a list of items by order of importance and start planning which items to take action on. Corrective Maintenance issues should be at the top of your list. These are issues that if left unattended could create further damage to your surface or even worse, safety issues. Preventative Maintenance items should already be on your list since these are things that should be done routinely. Once you have established a list by order of importance, it is time to create a budget.
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BUDGETING FOR ASPHALT MAINTENANCE
Budgeting can be a very complicated task, especially when you have no idea of what repairs may cost. To help you figure out how much to save, we have developed a few budgeting tools that will get you started in the right direction.
Preventative Maintenance (2-5 years) = Total Square Yards x $2.00
Corrective maintenance (2-5 years) = Total Square Yards x $5.00
Future Major Repairs (15-30 years) = Total Square Yards x $20.00
Every situation is different and may require significantly more funds depending upon the size of your parking lot, the amount of vehicle traffic, or exposure to harsh environments. However, we recommend using these formulas as a good starting point for allocating funds to parking lot repairs.
TAKE ACTION
You have evaluated your lot each Spring and Fall, and have been budgeting over a period of time for maintenance. Now you are ready to take action! Early in the spring, call an asphalt paving contractor, or contractors, that you trust and have the surface evaluated by a professional. We recommend getting three bids. Lastly, seal the deal. Remember, always use the paving contractor that you trust – not the one with the best price.
WE CAN HELP YOU SETUP A COMPREHENSIVE ASPHALT MAINTENANCE PLAN
If you follow our Comprehensive Asphalt Maintenance Plan, we are confident that you will increase the life of your asphalt significantly, and will always have the funds to make costly repairs when necessary. Start now!
Need an asphalt paving contractor in the greater Baltimore/DC area? The American Asphalt Paving Company is here to help. Call us now for a free evaluation of your asphalt paving surface! 410-477-4406
