If you have a paved parking lot for your business, you want to make sure that you keep it in good shape as long as possible. There are a lot of reasons for that. One is that your customers are going to start getting their first impression of your business from the second they drive into your parking lot. Another reason is that you don't want your customers to get hurt on your parking lot, since that could leave you open to a lawsuit. So, what can you do to maintain your parking lot?

Fix the Cracks

One thing you can do is to make sure that all the cracks are patched. That's because it's really easy to turn a small crack into a large crack, which can start tributary cracks and even cause chunks of your parking lot to go missing. The way that small cracks become big cracks is that they experience the freeze/thaw cycle that water goes through. When water freezes, it doesn't contract. Instead, it expands. The way that the crystal lattice sets up in ice makes pry open areas that may have a little crack. Each time the water in the crack freezes, it will open the crack open, and each time the water melts, it will go further down into the crack, so on and so forth. If you patch the crack as soon as you notice it, you are less likely to have more problems. 

Seal the Parking Lot

Another thing you can do is to make sure that you get your parking lot sealed on a regular basis. The sealant will help to prevent any cracks from starting at all It will also make sure that the cracks that you have had patched are covered up, which will help to make sure that nothing can get up and under the patch and cause the crack to deepen again. Your paving company can tell you how often you should have your parking lot sealed. There are some variables which will affect how often you should have it sealed. One is what the weather is like in your area. Another is that how much traffic your parking lot gets. A lot of traffic means that a lot of gas and oil will drip onto your asphalt, which will break it down. 

If you have a parking lot for your business, you need to make sure that you keep it in good shape. Work with paving contractors near you for more information.