When you’re operating a business, it’s easy to become consumed by the daily operations of that business and all the things you’re expected to do to satisfy customers and keep it running smoothly. Unfortunately, for some business owners, that means that certain aspects of the property that are crucial end up getting a bit neglected.
Sure, every good business owner keeps the interior and exterior of their business clean, tidies up messes, and makes sure the carts are pulled inside for customers to use, but there’s one piece of the property that seems to be neglected even by many of the best business owners.
Asphalt doesn’t seem like a major priority, but it actually breaks down and requires regular maintenance, and if you don’t maintain it, you’ll quickly see a decline in your property and some major impacts on your business.
Here are the different ways regular asphalt maintenance can make a difference for your commercial property.
1: Appearance
This is the most basic reason for asphalt maintenance. When people approach a business, they expect it to be immaculate. It shows professionalism, and it inspires confidence in the fact that the customer is going to have a good experience.
However, when you don’t maintain your asphalt, it develops cracks, line markings disappear, potholes form, and various other issues develop. Those are all far more serious than just their appearance, but the way they make your property look unmanaged and in disrepair has a massive impact on your business. The parking lot is the first area that customers experience, and when it’s not in good shape, it doesn’t leave a good impression.
2: Parking Lot Markings
Part of properly maintaining your asphalt is making sure the markings for parking spaces, firetruck zones, no-parking zones, handicap access areas, and more are all clear and visible. Those seem like unnecessary features that customers should be able to navigate without, but they are crucial. Without these features being maintained and easily visible, your asphalt can become a confusing mess.
This can affect different companies differently.
For example, if you have a retail business, your disabled customers need to have the spots allocated specifically for meeting their needs clearly marked, or those spots can be taken by other customers, regular parking spots might not be used appropriately, or you can have cars moving into loading and unloading areas, etc.
In a shipping or construction business, you can cause confusion for delivery drivers and workers, and in such situations, the consequences can be serious.
It’s pivotal to ensure that your pavement markings are maintained and as they should be at all times.
3: Avoiding Damage to Vehicles and Avoiding Injuries
One of your responsibilities as a business owner is ensuring that people can visit your property to conduct business without the risk of harm or damage to their own property.
Unmaintained asphalt develops cracks and potholes that can cause a multitude of issues. Visitors can easily hit a pothole and damage the bottom of their vehicles, and naturally, they can hold you responsible for not maintaining your property and causing that damage. This typically isn’t too much of a problem until the damage is extremely noticeable, but it is still a concern, and you do want to act fast to avoid that from ever being an issue.
Another major concern is visitor safety. Whether you have customers coming in throughout the day, or you have high-profile guests coming for meetings or deliveries, the last thing you want is for a visitor to trip, twist their ankle in a pothole, or otherwise sustain an injury because you didn’t maintain your property’s surfaces.
Failing to take care of this obligation can leave you open to legal issues, a declining reputation, and other problems that affect your business dramatically.
4: Prevention is More Effective Than Repairs
In the medical world, it’s often stated that prevention is a lot easier than curing something. For example, it’s easier to not smoke than it is to cure cancer. It’s a dramatic analogy, but the same is true for asphalt maintenance.
Unmaintained asphalt develops serious problems that can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to fully repair, and those repairs often require you to stop production completely for several days. In comparison, maintenance is extremely cheap and easy.
For professional-quality maintenance, it is recommended to hire skilled professionals to handle essential tasks such as sweeping and line painting. These services require specialized equipment and expertise to ensure precise execution and long-lasting results.
It is also worth noting that the cost of filling potholes or making minor repairs for small sections of the asphalt is far more cost-effective than needing to have the entire pavement pulled up and reinstalled due to excessive damage.
5: Slowing the Aging of Your Asphalt
Even with preventative measures being taken, you will eventually need to replace your asphalt. The difference is whether or not you need to replace it in the short-term or if you can get decades of use out of it.
Asphalt that is well-maintained will last a very long time without major repairs. However, if you allow snow, water, the pressure from being driven on daily, and other problems to mount up and damage it without paying attention to it, you can easily end up needing a replacement within a decade. That’s not cost-effective.
Handle Your Asphalt Maintenance Needs With Seal Canada
It’s perfectly fine for you and your team to handle basic cleaning needs, and you might even be able to handle your markings, but anything beyond that requires professional help if you want to protect your asphalt in the long term.
For that, Seal Canada is here to help. We offer a variety of commercial services, including paving, asphalt sealcoating, concrete installation, and more. So, if you need professionals to take care of your commercial property, or you need asphalt installed in the first place, contact us, today.
