Asphalt Parking Lot Maintenance Made Easy

Asphalt parking lots are a very common type of parking lot material. This is due to expense (lowest cost when compared to concrete or paver stones) and but has higher lifetime maintenance expenses. For that reason, this blog will focus asphalt parking lots. When starting with level ground an asphalt parking lot can cost $2,000 to $3,000 per space for new construction. An asphalt parking lot properly installed (i.e. good drainage, proper substrate material and average traffic) can last 20 to 30 years.

A new parking lot should not be seal coated until it is at least 6 months old. The parking lot should be seal coated every 2 to 3 years (sealcoating can cost $.08 to $12 psf for larger parking lots). It is important to seal larger cracks with tar prior to the sealcoating. Sealcoating and filling cracks should be done when the temperature is above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Aggressive sealcoating (i.e. prior to alligatoring/ excess cracking) prevents the onslaught of cracking and in northern climates water penetrating the cracks and expanding with freeze/thaw cycles. The beauty of aggressive crack filling and sealcoating is that the work can be done by church members with moderate skills.

Winter comes in many different forms across the states. Lets start with northern climates and snow:

1. Salt can be used on asphalt (Urea and similar products are best for cement). Salt does increase the number of freeze thaw cycles and thus a negative impact on the asphalt.

2. Snowplows can destroy asphalt curbs on the edges of parking lots. Cement curbs are more expensive but they do hold up better to snowplows.

More temperate climates may not require snow removal due to the lack of snow removal equipment or depending upon warmer weather to melt the snow in the upcoming days.

Parking lot design

The normal rule of thumb is one parking space for every three seats in the sanctuary. New parking lot construction may require storm water retention on the property (usually in a pond). Effective ingress and egress to the surface street is important for traffic flow. Here are some guidelines for maximizing the efficiency of parking lot design

1. Use rectangular areas where possible.

2. Make the long sides of the parking areas parallel.

3. Design so that parking stalls are located along the lot’s perimeter.

4. Use traffic lanes that serve two rows of stalls.

These are helpful rules of thumb. Parking lot design companies have computer programs that take into account property size/shape and local zoning ordinances to maximize the design. Zoning ordinaces that impact parking lot design are:

1. Side, front/back setbacks from neighbors and building (this may include berms)

2. Parking island requirements

3. Landscaping requirements