For commercial properties, an asphalt parking lot is a cost effective option for high traffic parking situations. Asphalt is durable and can be laid in a few days. A few days later and it can be driven on allowing normal business operations to return with little downtime. However, one thing to note is that there is a certain time of the year that is best for properly overlaying asphalt. While you may want to lay new asphalt or repair your existing asphalt parking lot immediately, rushing the process during poor conditions will yield poor results. Here are some things you must consider in order to guarantee proper installation of asphalt on your commercial property.
Establishing the Base
Underneath the asphalt will be soil and a base. The first step is inspecting the soil to see if you need to alter it using hardening additives like concrete or lime. Avoid doing this step during the rainy season or the soil will be too moist and soft. For base stabilization you may also need to mix in additives like cement powder to ensure a strong base. The mix must reach a certain amount of moisture and hardening before it can be compacted and smoothed for the asphalt layering. For these steps, you may need to turn off any irrigation systems you have, so make sure it’s not too hot for your landscape to survive a couple days without constant watering.
Laying the Asphalt
The most import part is the laying of the asphalt. You need warmer temperatures so you have to time to work with the asphalt and smoothen it out. The asphalt will solidify when it cools. Once again, asphalt projects that are prone to being rained on could eventually sink, crack or shift. However, you also don’t want to install asphalt when it’s extremely hot because the asphalt will not harden and may even spill oil. While you can drive on cooled asphalt after a couple days of setting, asphalt takes at least 6 months for it to fully harden and its oils to evaporate.
Best Time for Asphalt in California
In order to get the best asphalt laying weather in California, wait for the months of May, June and July. These are the best months for asphalt projects because the raining season is over, it’s not cold and it’s also not too hot. Give yourself sixty to ninety days to have a contractor inspect your property and review any base layering that needs to be done before installing the asphalt. So right now is the time to call and plan for your properties asphalt upcoming. Call Royal Oak Property Services at 310-872-5999 for high-quality asphalt installation services or contact us online.