Often we are called out on a job site by prospective businesses, asking the same question. What should I do about my parking lot? The asphalt is in “bad” shape, but I don’t know if I want to spend the money to redo everything from scratch. If you are asking this question, we will attempt to help you consider your options and make the best decision for you and your company.
We offer parking lot installations and parking lot repair services.
Any parking lot will last longer if you redo the parking lot entirely. This would be a full-depth removal and repave. Sidenote: private driveways should ALWAYS be repaved full depth due to the cost of milling the driveway vs. tearing it out. However, an owner CAN save money and time by doing a mill and fill on his parking lot if the condition warrants it.
The first question to ask is how long you want the parking lot to last after the job is completed. Are you hoping to get another five years out of this? Another ten? Or are you hoping to get another 15-20 years? Generally, the longer you want this to last, the more likely it will be recommended to do a full removal and repave. However, if you are in the market for another five to ten years, a mill and fill could work for you.
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Mill and Fill for Parking Lot Longevity
If you are considering a mill-and-fill option, please examine your asphalt to determine whether it is “spidering” or “alligator” cracking and how much of it is occurring.
This cracking means the asphalt is failing under the surface. Milling it out and then paving over it offers only a temporary repair. It should be removed fully and repaved.
How many cracks you have in your asphalt is another consideration, as well as how deep are they. Cracks will always “reflect” back through with just a mill and fill. How soon it will happen never can be fully predicted, but they do occur over time.
The more cracks you have, the deeper they are, the more likely a full-depth repair will be recommended.