Why is it important to seal parking lot cracks as soon as you find them?
Maintaining a parking lot may seem tedious or costly to some, but this process is not as demanding as it sounds. Once you find a reliable contractor and create an asphalt maintenance plan, it should be easy to keep up with routine processes like sealcoating and parking lot crack repair. You might think of these as extra expenses, but proper maintenance helps you save more in the long run since you can extend the lifespan of your lot.
No pavement is immune to cracks, regardless of how durable it is. Small cracks may seem easy to brush off as a minor concern but ignoring them can lead to more significant problems. Check out what happens if you skip your parking lot crack repair and leave your cracks unsealed.
Formation of Alligator Cracks
Ignoring cracks in asphalt can result in alligator cracks, which resemble the look of alligator skin. They can quickly spread into other parts of your parking lot and stretch into larger cracks, causing your asphalt pavement to deteriorate quickly.
While alligator cracks seem more like an aesthetic issue, the problem runs deeper. In most cases, these cracks occur because of more serious concerns, such as structural issues caused by the intense pressure and weight of the vehicle. So, of course, you should seal the cracks in your asphalt, but more than this, you should also get a professional to diagnose the cause of the alligatored areas.
Formation of Potholes
If you leave minor cracks untreated in your parking lot, they will gradually become larger cracks that lead to potholes. At this point, you would need to spend more on asphalt repairs since pothole repairs are more complex than crack sealing. They involve digging out all the debris from the hole and filling it with an asphalt patch mix.
The longer you leave a pothole in your parking lot, the higher the risk of causing irreversible damage. So, regardless of how small or minor a crack looks on your pavement, do not delay getting the parking lot crack repaired immediately.
Base Degradation
Base degradation is another possible consequence of leaving unsealed cracks in your parking lot. Even the tiniest cracks serve as an entry point for water to seep into the asphalt and pool with the other base materials. Other elements like dirt and debris can also infiltrate below the surface, causing more extensive damage underneath your pavement.
When this happens, the asphalt becomes lumpy and potentially gets upheaved from the excess moisture and aggregate. Unfortunately, your parking lot will buckle under the pressure of all the vehicular traffic without a strong base. The worst scenario is that you will need to replace your entire pavement since it is no longer possible to repair a simple crack.
Increased Risk of Liability
Maintaining your curb appeal certainly plays a huge role in parking lots. However, more than the aesthetic factor is the safety factor. Small cracks might seem like no danger, but they will get bigger and potentially turn into holes before you know it.
With this, you increase the risk of liability from slip and fall injuries or car accidents that happen on your lot. Aside from the financial and legal implications, these cases will also dent your reputation—whether as a property or business owner. regular asphalt crack repair can help prevent this from happening.
Get Professional Parking Lot Repair Services to Keep Your Pavement Durable
Sealing cracks in your lot is critical to maintaining your pavement’s durability and longevity. Minor cracks can be deceptively harmless, but do not be fooled—they are a gateway to significant pavement damage. They might not cause real danger at first, but the longer you leave the cracks unsealed, the higher the risk of damaging your lot permanently.
So, the moment you notice any cracks, do not hesitate to call the experts immediately. At ACPLM, we offer professional parking lot crack repair services, including crack filling and crack sealing. Not sure what repair service you need? Our skilled team can assess your pavement to determine the best solution based on the size and severity of the cracks. Call us today at 888-959-9637 for more information and to schedule a free consultation.
