Asphalt is often the last priority on the list of things to maintain at community properties. However, it’s also one of the most expensive things to repair when forgotten about for too long. Several factors can impact how well the asphalt holds up on your property. Here are the five most common enemies to your asphalt…
1: STANDING WATER
If water sits in puddles on top of asphalt, it can cause damage. Standing water breaks down the chemicals in asphalt, causing it to weaken. This leads to cracks and potholes. Excessive sprinkler runoff can be even more damaging than rain. Be sure to monitor for puddle areas after rains and sprinkler water runoff.
2: HEAVY VEHICLE WHEEL LOAD
Asphalt can withstand lots of weight, but only to a point. Most properties that have damage from heavy vehicle wheel load are often due to Trash Trucks. When heavy trash trucks drive over and stop on the same spot each week, this can be too much for asphalt to withstand. Rutting and cracks begin to occur throughout the trash receptacle areas where trash truck wheels come to a stop while lifting trash bins.
3: ULTRAVIOLET RAYS
UV Rays are harmful to your skin and harmful to asphalt. It oxidizes the tar in asphalt, causing it to weaken and break down. Areas of asphalt exposed to constant sunlight will turn grey in color. When your asphalt has a grey appearance, it’s often associated with UV ray damage.
4: TREE ROOTS
I’ve posted several videos showing how the beauty of nature can destroy asphalt in the form of tree roots. Trees that have been planted in the middle of parking lots can have roots that grow out and under and come through the pavement creating large bumps and cracks. Do you want to protect your asphalt and save you money?…Get rid of the trees and planters in the middle of your parking lots. They look beautiful but can wreak havoc on your property.
5: MOTOR OIL
When cars leak oil on asphalt, it penetrates and breaks it down. It eats away at the asphalt over time if not properly cleaned off the surface. I often see these areas of oil damage in multi-family housing properties where cars park in the same parking stalls day after day and leak oil. The weakening leads to cracking and unraveling of asphalt.
What steps can be taken to prevent damage?…..Asphalt seal coating a minimum of every three years. Hot rubberized crack filling to larger cracks that surface each year.
Monitoring landscape sprinkler water runoff and making proper adjustments to limit asphalt exposure.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Planning for routine preventative maintenance can prevent a significant expensive crisis.
Helping Property Managers get asphalt maintenance and repair projects done right the first time and under budget through the most up-to-date asphalt pavement solutions, Brian Beckner is the manager of Prestige Paving Company, located in Southern California. Prestige Paving Company is an all-in, one-stop shop offering asphalt seal coating, minor asphalt repairs, new pavement construction, ADA compliance upgrades, and pavement striping for Commercial Property Owners and Property Management Teams. Phone: 1-951-833-6565. Web: www.PrestigeCompany.net email: Brian@PrestigeCompany.net
