Over time customers, staff, suppliers, those just simply passing through, and even the weather inflict wear and tear on your parking lot. With it being one of the first things someone sees when they come to your facility, it ultimately adds or diminishes your curb appeal. This is why proper care is essential. However, parking lot maintenance usually falls towards the bottom of the priority for most facilities.
The Importance of Parking Lot Maintenance
“With great looking parking lot comes great responsibility.” That’s what Uncle Ben said, right? Maybe not, but he should have. Parking lot maintenance is critical for your facility as it boosts your curb appeal, keeps everyone safe, your bottom line secure.
Just like the rest of your assets, your parking lot needs proper maintenance. Your parking lot is an investment that needs to be cared for. The average life expectancy of the average lot is 15-20 years. You can easily make it 10 if you don’t care for it, and that’s with low traffic.
It also can lead to greater downtime for your facility. If you allow your lot to become riddled with potholes and cracks they will just continue to grow. Now you don’t have a little section to fix, but a headache. This cuts down on parking or could potentially block an aisle.
If people driving by see a haphazardous parking lot, they most likely won’t patronize your store. If you care so little about your parking lot, clients will assume you don’t have much pride in your products or services. It also leads to a greater chance of slips and falls among other safety risks for your employees and customers.
What Issues Can Arise if Not Maintained?
Without proper maintenance, a lot of serious issues can arise. A few of these issues include:
- Large cracks
- Potholes
- Uneven pavement
- Deterioration of the asphalt surface
- Slick, slippery surfaces caused by leaves, ice, or snow
- Decrease in the overall lifetime of the parking lot
These serious issues can pose a significant risk to the safety of your employees and customers. Also, it amounts to a poor investment and significantly decreases your return on investment (ROI).
The needs of your parking lot vary based on the season. Each season’s parking lot checklist is described below.
Winter Maintenance Checklist
With winter comes ice, snow, and bitter temperatures. These things cause a lot of damage to your parking lot if left alone. We recommend doing the following throughout the season to keep your parking lot in the best condition possible.
- Look into an anti-icing agent. This will assist with snow or ice building up and bonding to the surface causing damage.
- Remove snow ASAP.
- Salt. Once the snow has been removed salt your parking lot. We recommend utilizing a sprayer or shaker to help control the amount of use and more even spread.
Spring Maintenance Checklist
Spring parking lot maintenance consists of fixing any damage done during the winter. This could be anything from cracks to potholes. One of the first things you should complete is to sweep your lot. You may want to consider performing a power wash as well to really give it a nice clean. Once it’s swept you will easily be able to inspect your lot for damage. Next, check for any issues with your drainage systems. They sometimes become clogged over winter.
Finally, throughout the spring check for weeds that may pop up. However, if you regularly clean your lot you decrease the risk of weeds growing through.
Summer Maintenance Checklist
Summer is the perfect time to tackle larger parking lot maintenance projects thanks to the warm, sunny weather, and longer days. It’s the perfect time to reseal your lot. A new seal coat should be done ever few things. By doing so, it helps prevent that natural oxidation process allowing your lot to last longer.
Thus it’s recommended to inspect for cracks. Fix them. Re-seal and then re-stripe.
Fall Maintenance Checklist
In fall, the parking lot maintenance checklist is more about prepping for winter as it’s your last chance to finish any projects before the harsh weather and snow come. Consider completing the following in the fall.
- Rid your parking lot of debris, including leaves.
- Ensure drainage system is clear
- Check for any potholes or cracks
- Verify the access points are safe and undamaged
Next Steps
Your commercial parking lot requires care and upkeep all year long. Each season with its own specific needs to ensure. While your employees and team members may be able to assist with most of the items on the checklist, some larger projects will need a professional. By outsourcing some or all tasks, you will take some of the burdens off your team. You can rest assured knowing the job is being handled. When it comes to outsourcing, we recommend outsourcing some of your parking lot maintenance for re-stripping, re-sealing, snow removal, and an in-depth inspection of your drainage system.
Contact us to discover how SLM Facility Solutions Nationwide can assist you with your parking lot maintenance needs.
