Tips For Paving Your Parking Area
If you're renovating your business space and have decided to pave the parking lot, it's important that you prepare the area properly. Without a strong, stable foundation for the parking area, it's going to be at risk of cracking and shifting. Here are a few tips to help you ensure a durable structure in your parking area.
Dig A Deep Enough Foundation
You need to have plenty of space to build a solid foundation. That means excavating a level space that's several inches deep. This gives you enough space to fill in with supportive material so that you don't risk erosion under the asphalt. Before you decide that any excavated space is deep enough, you need to look at the content of the soil.
If there is a lot of clay in the soil, it will make it difficult for water to drain. Clay is highly absorbent and retains water, which can lead to water damage beneath the asphalt. Keep digging as far as necessary to get beneath the clay layer. You can backfill the space with gravel for structure and drainage.
For areas that will see heavy traffic or large trucks, you need a structural sublayer that can support it. Dig a few inches deeper in the foundation space then filling it with heavy gravel for more stability. That gravel can hold up to the excess weight that the parking area will be subjected to.
Choose The Right Filler
You'll want gravel filler for the foundation because of the structural support it offers. Gravel with large stones provides enough structure to hold the sand particles of the foundation in place. That means that the foundation won't shift under weight or water flow. This ensures that the asphalt stays in place, doesn't buckle and won't shift.
Compact The Base Before You Pave
Gravel has a lot of various sizes of materials in it, so you'll want to take time to compact it before you pave the lot. This provides some extra support under the asphalt, which is important for durability. If you don't pack it down, the gravel will settle over time and cause cracks and potholes that can be damaging.
Take some time to talk with an asphalt paving contractor about your lot and any special accommodations it may need. The more proactive you are about addressing potential issues, the better your chances will be to of getting a parking area that will last for many years to come.
For more information, visit http://www.starpaving.com or a similar website.
