Whether you love or hate the budgeting process, you have likely found that some categories are more difficult than others when you have to assign a dollar amount. For many, the care of their asphalt paving is one of the categories that they find difficult. The first tip to budgeting for the ongoing care of an asphalt pavement is to avoid short-term planning; some procedures are not annual expenses, but placing funds in reserve accounts annually can help you avoid the need to scramble for money when the procedures are needed. The second tip is to categorize expenses as preventive maintenance, routine repair, or restorative maintenance procedures.
Philadelphia Asphalt Paving Budget Tips
What Are Some Essential Preventive Maintenance Procedures for Asphalt Paving?
As you probably know, the goal of preventive maintenance is to reduce the likelihood of damage, thereby reducing the need for costly repairs to or the failure of an asset. Preventive asphalt pavement maintenance procedures include the following.
1. Sealcoating: Asphalt sealcoating is the most cost-effective way to prevent dry, brittle, crack-prone pavements as well as soft, crumbly, pothole-prone pavements. Although sealcoating also provides several aesthetic benefits, its ability to block UV rays, automotive fluids, and corrosive chemicals makes it an essential part of an effective preventative maintenance program for Philadelphia, Norristown, and Bensalem asphalt paving. Parking lot maintenance and sealcoating contractors typically recommend sealcoating every other year.
2. Sweeping: Keeping an asphalt pavement clean can help prevent damage that is caused by moisture, abrasives, and vegetation. You should ask your pavement maintenance contractor for assistance in determining the best schedule for your needs so that you can budget accordingly. A busy shopping center may need nightly sweepings, for example, while a gated community may be able to get by with monthly sweepings.
3. Cleaning: Cleanings are not the same as sweepings. Instead, they remove the potentially harmful things that sweepings may not be able to remove, including oil stains. There are many methods for deep-cleaning asphalt pavements without damaging them, so you will need to ask your contractor to recommend the appropriate method and schedule for your specific needs.
What Are Routine Repair Procedures for Asphalt Paving?
If the asphalt paving company delivered a top-notch pavement, you may not need any routine repairs for three years or more. Eventually, however, you will find cracks in your pavement, especially if you inherited a parking lot that received little or no maintenance during its early years. Crack sealing or filling is essential to prevent water infiltration that can inflict severe damage. Ideally, you should have cracks repaired immediately, but you can establish a budget that allows you to have them repaired every fall and again in the spring. Although pothole repairs can also be considered routine, if you are proactive about repairing cracks, maintaining your sealcoating, and keeping your pavement clean, you might never need to have a pothole repaired.
What Are Some Restorative Repair Procedures for Asphalt Pavements?
Sometimes, asphalt pavements need more help than can be provided through preventive maintenance or routine repairs. The problem could be the result of normal aging, an issue with the mix that the asphalt company used when constructing the pavement, a history of poor pavement maintenance, or a drainage problem that developed after construction. A tired, unsightly, aged pavement that displays evidence of numerous repairs may also need help to restore its curb appeal. Asphalt patching and asphalt resurfacing are two extremely common restorative repair procedures.
1. Asphalt patching involves the removal and replacement of a damaged area. It can be a cost-effective way to repair potholes, alligator cracking, small areas of raveling, and some instances of upheaval. It can also be a cost-effective method to make localized foundation repairs, correct certain drainage problems, or repair a small, high-traffic area that is suffering from rutting or aggregate polishing. A patch may require the removal of some of the asphalt layers, all of the asphalt layers, or all of the asphalt layers and all or some of the base and subbase. Trust a reputable asphalt company to provide you with advice on the likelihood that your pavement will require patching, when it might need it, and how much it will cost so that you can work these costs into your budget.
2. Asphalt resurfacing, which is commonly known as an asphalt overlay, is a method of rejuvenating or repairing a pavement. Before installing an overlay, an asphalt paving company will grind away a specific depth of the existing pavement with a milling machine. After completing a few more steps, new asphalt is placed and compacted. The overlay will look new, and it will be almost impossible for drivers, pedestrians, or casual observers to tell that the pavement has not been completely reconstructed. However, overlays are often not cost-effective if there is widespread, severe damage to the base and subbase, and this is yet another reason to be diligent about your preventive maintenance and routine repairs. Typically, asphalt pavements in the Philadelphia area need resurfacing about every 12 years. Depending on the care given to the pavement throughout its life, this could drop to eight years, or it could be extended to more than 15 years. When budgeting for your asphalt pavement, it is better to be a little bit pessimistic when deciding how much to set aside in your reserve account annually, so you might want to increase your reserve by one-tenth of the total estimated cost every year so that the full amount will be available as soon as it is needed. You should also bear in mind that overlays can be an effective method of repairing newer pavements that are experiencing widespread aggregate polishing, shoving, raveling, or other distresses that are not practical to repair with a patch.
When you need exemplary service and exceptional work at reasonable rates, trust the experts at C&C Super Seal. We offer a number of different services in the Philadelphia area including asphalt paving, patching, crack repair, and sealcoating. We also offer thermoplastic line striping, snow removal, and parking lot striping. We are known for our quality, professionalism, and integrity. For a free quote, you can submit the online request form, call 267-223-9906, or email Info@CandCSuperseal.com.
