The Asphalt Kingdom Blog

Trees contribute to curb appeal and property value. Additionally, they provide shade, which helps keep the surroundings cool, especially during summer months. Well-maintained trees and shrubs add beauty and appeal, while helping keep air fresh and clean. While these are some of the huge advantages of trees and plants, there are also downsides to having large trees in and around your driveways and parking lots. 

As the trees grow, they can cause the asphalt to heave up and break. Since these gaps have jagged and uneven edges, they can become tripping hazards or cause damage to car tires or undercarriage. Tree root damage can lead to injuries and accidents if not handled in a timely manner.

Asphalt cracks and gaps can develop all over an asphalt surface. It’s more common, however,  on sections where joints and seams meet, such as where asphalt edges meet the street, concrete curb, garage floor, or house foundation.

There are many possible causes of cracking, such as exposure to the weather and natural elements, freeze-thaw cycles in cold-weather locations, vehicle damage, and incorrect installation. If not filled and sealed in a timely manner, these cracks allow moisture from rain, melted snow or runoff from garden hoses to penetrate the sub-grade, as well as the foundation or basement walls, causing them to grow weak and compound the damage.

ADA parking space requirements ensure accessibility for individuals with disabilities, covering everything from space dimensions to placing proper signage.

Being ADA-compliant is not just about painting the international symbol of accessibility on pavement – although, it is a step in the right direction. The 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design is formulated as per the DOJ-sanctioned revisions of Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

This covers the scope regarding minimum requirements and provisions for handicap-accessibility in parking lots and similar facilities that are either newly designed, reconstructed or altered on or after March 15, 2012. Non-compliant facilities and installations can get fined or even face a civil lawsuit.

In this blog post, you’ll learn all about current ADA parking space requirements, including:

• The appropriate number of handicap-accessible spaces
• Handicap parking space requirements for signage
• Answers to commonly asked questions about ADA parking specifications
• And much more!

Water can be both beneficial and disadvantageous to parking lot owners and managers. Water can be used to clear off mud, sand, fallen leaves, twigs, and any other form of vegetation and debris that clutter the parking lot’s surface.

Your asphalt driveway is a big investment, but like any outdoor surface, it needs some TLC to stay in good shape. Over time, the sun, weather, and traffic can wear it down, making it look rough and beat up.

Think of your asphalt like your skin. Constant exposure to the elements can cause it to dry out, crack, and get brittle. You might start seeing small cracks snaking along your asphalt driveway. You might also notice patches of moss, faded areas, ruts, and uneven spots popping up.

The longer you leave these things, the more damage they cause to your asphalt driveway, and the more expensive they get to fix.

But don’t worry — we’ve got you covered. We’ve broken down asphalt driveway damage into four separate problems, and we’ve got DIY solutions for each one. Our step-by-step guides make it easy for you to tackle repairs yourself, saving you money and keeping your pavement looking sharp.

Check out the categories of asphalt damage below and find out how you can fix each issue yourself. Let's show you how to fix your asphalt driveway, and get it back in top shape!

Knowing what the ideal job temperature is before applying crack fill, sealcoat or line striping paint is essential in making sure your project lasts. Planning your scheduled jobs and being up to date on weather forecasts is important so you don’t sacrifice the quality of your work because of less-than-perfect temperatures.

Have you wondered why new asphalt looks rich, dark and thick, while old asphalt driveway pavement is gray, flaky and stony? That is because bitumen (tar), which mixes and holds the stones together to form asphalt, has dried out. When freshly laid, asphalt is very flexible and can withstand wear and tear. So why does asphalt turn gray? With continuous exposure to the sun, the bitumen gets eroded, and your asphalt starts to lose its deep color and flexibility.

Asphalt, by nature, matures and ages through time. Prolonged exposure to the sun and other natural elements cause it to grow brittle, which leads to flaking and cracking. Filling cracks is an important factor in asphalt maintenance. It helps prevent additional damage by keeping moisture from seeping into the foundation, and avoid weakening the asphalt even further.

• Overgrown tree roots, oil spills, and the elements can cause cracks in your asphalt.
• Planning to fix driveway cracks yourself? You can do it using different products.
• You can also hire a contractor to fix wider cracks or extensive alligator cracking.

Whether you are a homeowner or a property manager in charge of running an airport or storage facility parking lot, keeping your asphalt driveway or parking lot in good shape is a worthwhile investment. Asphalt is much like our skin - it ages and matures as time passes. Asphalt also requires care and attention, in order to maintain its fresh appearance and life span. Read on to learn tips and best practices on how to care for your blacktop.

Table of Contents

• Why Asphalt Pavements Develop Cracks
• Different Options to Repair Asphalt Cracks

Before a potential customer or tenant steps inside your establishment, the first thing they usually notice is the appearance of your parking area. How well a parking lot is maintained, or how degraded it appears at first sight, speaks volumes regarding your business’s upkeep.