Aside from the exterior of your building, your company's parking lot is the first thing your clients see when they pull in. You don't want their first impression to be of an old, run-down, crack-filled parking lot, do you? Of course not. You want to put your best foot forward and make a good impression right out of the gate. From smooth asphalt and crisp lines to landscaping and stain-free surfaces, your parking lot should reflect the professionalism with which you operate your business. Check out these tips on how you can better take care of the pavement for your business parking lot.
 
Asphalt Pavement

While it looks great when newly paved and lined, your asphalt pavement parking lot will fade over time and succumb to cracks and bumps. You'll need to hire a company for comprehensive ongoing parking lot maintenance to prevent the further breakdown of your lot. Keep an eye out for cracks, bumps, divots and raveling so that they can be address quickly by a professional. Solutions to these problems can include patching and repair, maintenance, crack sealing, seal coating and regular pavement marking. By keeping up with the maintenance of your asphalt parking lot, you can fix problems before they become too big and therefore save yourself money in the long run.
 
Concrete

While concrete naturally requires little maintenance, it still needs some TLC every once in awhile. To preserve the life and aesthetics of your concrete parking lot, you'll need to clean and reapply sealants as needed, recommends the Concrete Network. How often you do this will depend on the amount of traffic you get and what the climate is in your area. Every two years is a good rule of thumb for resealing. It's best to contact a reputable contractor to perform this job, especially if your parking lot is large. Sealants are meant to keep stains and other marks from seeping into the concrete, but some stains – such as grease and oil – from the heavy traffic of parked cars can set in. That's why you should clean off those stains through pressure washing right when they occur. Avoid the use of chemicals, such as those used in winter to de-ice the parking lot surface. Some chemicals can damage your concrete, so use sand for traction instead if you can.
 
Grass Parking Solutions

Some businesses inherently have grass as parking lots due to the nature of the business, such as apple orchards, campgrounds and fair grounds. Thanks to repeated traffic and heavy cars and trucks, your grass parking lot can quickly get rutted and torn up. Then, when it rains, you get puddles and mush everywhere – not a good impression for your customers. Stop parking on the grass and start implementing grass parking solutions such as porous paver systems that allow grass to grow right through the grid-like surface while offering plenty of stability for the heaviest of vehicles.
 
As a business owner, the last thing you want is for your clients to get hurt while on your property. Someone could twist an ankle or pop a tire on a pot hole. That's why proper parking lot maintenance is so important. Yes, it looks good to have a well maintained lot, but it's also a safety issue as well.
 
This article was contributed on behalf of TRUEGRID, your number one choice when looking for Eco-friendly parking solutions. Check out their website today and see how they can help you!