Anyone who has lived through a winter in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) understands just how brutal the weather can be to your home, property, and especially parking lot. Left unchecked, a parking lot damaged by winter weather can be dangerous for both drivers and pedestrians.
Fortunately, there are a number of steps you can take to winterize your parking lot and avoid costly parking lot repairs in the GTA. If you are a property owner, a parking lot maintenance program is an excellent way to determine whether or not your asphalt parking lot is winterized.
Here are some effective ways to ensure asphalt parking lot safety this winter.
Conduct Regular Thorough Inspections
“An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure” even when it comes to asphalt parking lots. Being proactive and regularly inspecting your parking lot thoroughly for early signs of potholes or cracks can save you a lot of money in potential repair bills. That’s because it’s a lot less expensive to fix minor repairs than larger ones.
In addition to being unsightly, potholes and cracks are also a huge hazard to people and vehicles. That means regular thorough inspection of your parking lot can also significantly reduce potential liabilities.
Inspect the Parking Lot Drainage System
Parking lots are designed to allow for water to run off into drainage systems. If you do notice water pooling in your parking lot, it could mean the asphalt has experienced structural damage and needs to be repaired.
That’s because standing or pooling water can cause serious damage to the surface of a parking lot. In fact, it’s the leading cause behind asphalt deterioration.
Over time, elements like rain, cold weather, and the sun can deteriorate the surface of an asphalt parking lot, allowing water to penetrate. When this happens, water seeps down and slowly damages large areas of the parking lot, causing extensive damages.
Small puddles that form when its raining aren’t an issue but standing water that doesn’t clear up definitely is. In the winter, the freeze-thaw cycle can turn a parking lot into a skating rink. To prevent expensive damage, conduct a regular inspection of your parking lot’s drainage system.
Determine if Your Parking Lot Requires Sealcoating
Parking lot sealcoating should be an important part of any asphalt parking lot maintenance program. The right asphalt sealcoat in the GTA can prevent harmful substances like oil, gasoline, sunlight, and water from wreaking havoc on the subsurface of the underlying asphalt.
The right sealcoating can help keep your asphalt parking lot smooth and protected from the wear and tear that comes from the elements and constant use.
How often your parking lot needs to be sealcoated depends largely on how often it gets used. If it gets used a lot, it might need to be sealcoated every one to three years. If your parking lot is looking worn, have it sealcoated before winter strikes or first thing in the spring.
Keep the Parking Lot Area Clean
Not all damage caused to asphalt parking lots comes from obvious places. Dirt, debris, leaves, and trash can get ground into the asphalt by cars and trucks, causing cracks and other damage. Chemical spills, like oil leaks or radiation fluid from a truck or car, can also crack a parking lot over time.
Maintain Parking Lot Striping
Striping and markings are an invaluable part of parking lots. Line painting services in the GTA help maintain traffic control, show people where to park, and where not to park.
Winter weather including snow, ice, sleet, rain, and the freeze thaw cycle are big reasons why parking lot striping fades away. To keep your asphalt parking lot safe, make sure to repair the marking as soon as you seem them start to fade.
Conduct Routine Repair Work
Contact a parking lot repair company in Toronto if you start to see surface cracks, potholes, or buckling with the asphalt. Left unchecked, cracks can widen during the winter and cause more extensive damage to the surface.
To minimize maintenance costs, make sure you hire an experienced company to do routine parking lot repairs in the GTA. One of the best ways to protect your parking lot is with asphalt crack sealing in Toronto. This not only prevents cracks from becoming larger and more dangerous, but it also prevents water from seeping into the sub-grade layer.
You should also patch potholes. Small potholes have a habit of turning into big potholes. If you see potholes developing on your parking lot, get it patched. It’s an inexpensive repair method, especially when compared to replacing the asphalt around the entire area.
Make a Snow Removal Plan
With unpredictable winter fast approaching in the GTA, it’s important that your business has a snow removal plan in place. If you’re thinking of hiring a snow removal company, make sure you find one with a lot of experience, uses state-of-the-art equipment, and has excellent customer service.
Ivy Property Services Inc., Keeping Your Parking Lot Winter Safe
If you live in or near the GTA and want to minimize repair costs and maximize the life of your asphalt parking lot, the professionals at Ivy Property Services Inc. will make it winter ready. In fact, our experts can help you with all of your asphalt repair and maintenance needs, all year long.
Some of the asphalt services Ivy Property Services Inc provides include: asphalt crack sealing and parking lot repairs, snow removal, parking lot resurfacing, pothole repairs, asphalt speed bumps, line painting, concrete curb and sidewalk repairs, excavation and grading, culvert replacement, and more.
With fast turnaround times, exceptional customer service, and affordable estimates, let Ivy Property Services Inc. be your first choice for commercial asphalt paving and snow removal.
If you’re interested in keeping your asphalt parking lot safe and winter-ready, call us today and get a free quote and consultation. Contact us at (416) 818-0970. We are always available at info@ivypropertyservices.com and are ready to respond to all client inquiries.
