Concrete Parking Lots
Parking lots are some of the most important features on any commercial or industrial property. Keeping your parking lot in good condition helps enhance the overall safety of your campus. A sound parking lot provides visitors, employees, guests, and third party agents with a surface that is safe to park on and walk across. The appearance of your property is also significantly improved by the presence of a parking lot that has been taken care of correctly. A concrete parking lot offers numerous benefits for property owners and they also have the potential to last for many decades.
Using Concrete for Parking Lots
Even though most people imagine asphalt when they think about parking lots, concrete is an alternative material with numerous advantages. In fact, concrete offers so many benefits that it is being used increasingly to surface parking lots, driveways, maintenance and employee roads, sidewalks and access paths, and a wide variety of other surfaces.
How Does Concrete Compare to Asphalt?
There are a few key differences between concrete and asphalt, especially in terms of use in parking lots. These include:
Cost: Asphalt tends to cost less than concrete initially but will require more frequent repairs over the years
Durability: Concrete has the potential to stand up to use with much less wear and tear
Care: Concrete is relatively simple to care for although particular ice melt products will need to be used to prevent surface damage
Ease of repair: Concrete can be more complicated to repair but fixes will be infrequently required compared to asphalt surfaces
Longevity: Properly cared for, concrete has a much longer use life than asphalt
Each factor has to be considered carefully. Many business owners have found the long-term advantages of concrete ultimately more appealing; for this reason an increasing number of properties feature these durable surfaces.
The Realities of Owning a Concrete Parking Lot
Before any property can begin enjoying the benefits of a concrete parking lot, a few additional matters should be addressed. First, the foundation of a parking lot has to be properly prepared before any surface material can be added. Even if concrete is prepared and poured correctly, an insufficient foundation will introduce vulnerabilities very early on. Because care has to be taken prior to installing any type of parking lot, property owners should choose to work with experienced contractors with a history of successful parking lot projects and related endeavors.
Choosing a professional contractor like Randahl Construction will ensure that your new concrete parking lot is built correctly. Our team can help at every stage.