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 are going to 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.
We want to start by saying 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 do you want the parking lot to last after completing the job. Are you hoping to get another five years out of this?? Another 10?? 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, should you be in the market for another 5-10 years a mill and fill could work for you.
Get a FREE Asphalt Paving ESTIMATE!
Mill and Fill for Parking Lot Longevity
If you are looking at a mill and fill option, please look at your asphalt and see if it is “spidering” or “alligator” cracking and how much of it is occurring.
This cracking means the asphalt is failing under the surface. Milling this out and then paving over it offers only a temporary repair. This should be full depth removed and repaved.
How many cracks do 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.