A car park is one of the first things your customers experience, and a tired, cracked one sends the wrong message before they have even walked in. Keeping it in good shape is not just about looks either. It keeps people safe, limits your liability, and stretches the life of the surface so you avoid the big repairs. Here are some simple, mostly low-cost things you can do.
Keep it safe
A poorly maintained car park is a liability. A pothole someone trips in, or poor lighting that leads to a collision, can land at your feet. Keeping it safe means making sure the lighting is adequate, the traffic directions are clearly marked on the surface, and the ground is clean and even. That alone heads off most of the risk.
Inspect it regularly
A quick walk around once a month catches problems while they are still cheap to fix. Look for cracks, standing water and pools of oil or petrol, and write down what you find so nothing slips through. Catching a small crack now is far cheaper than repairing the pothole it becomes.
Sweep it often
Sweeping is the cheapest maintenance there is, and it does more than tidy the place up. Left alone, sticks, rocks and grit clog drains and create standing water, and standing water works its way into the surface and weakens it. Regular sweeping also lets you spot new problems early.
Clean up oil and fuel quickly
Oil and petrol from leaky engines eat into the binder that holds the surface together, and cause rapid deterioration where they sit. Clean spills as soon as you see them, and give the car park a pressure wash a couple of times a year to lift the build-up.
Check the drains
Open the drains and check for blockages, especially through the wet season. If rainwater is pooling, the drainage is likely blocked, and left unchecked that causes long-term damage to the surface.
Fill and seal cracks
Cracks are inevitable with heavy use and our weather, but they do not have to become a big job. A small crack is easy and cheap to fill and seal; a large one is not. Deal with them early, before water gets in and the surrounding surface starts to break up.
Sealcoat when it is due
Asphalt is porous, so it absorbs water, expands and eventually cracks. A sealcoat stops that by keeping water out. It wears down over time from traffic, sun and rain, so it needs renewing. A simple test: splash some water on the surface. If it beads up, the seal is working; if it soaks in, it is time to reseal. Done well, a sealcoat lasts around three to five years.
Rotate the wear
When you reseal, reroute the traffic and parking for a while to spread the wear across the surface. Shade trees and planters can also help protect the surface from the constant sun.
Leave the big jobs to a professional
When your business depends on it, the major work is worth doing properly. We handle car park surfacing, resurfacing and sealing, along with pothole, gutter and kerb repairs, for commercial, industrial and government clients across Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Ipswich, the Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba.
Have a look at our car park resurfacing page, then get in touch and we will assess your car park and give you a written quote at no cost.