4 Important Potholes and Pitfalls Every Business Should Consider About Commercial Parking

Commercial Paving

Why Parking Matters

The parking lot is a retailers first opportunity to make a positive impression on a customer. While it may seem trivial, basic parking lot maintenance is important for a business to consider and is a fundamental element of a business’s ability to deliver the perfect customer experience.

  • Aesthetic: A parking lot is the first thing a customer sees and it is a reflection of the business as a whole. Repairing cracks, drainage, and potholes is a simple way to improve the businesses appearance.
  • Legal Implications: Regular maintenance of driveways and parking lots is crucial to ensure the safety of patrons and guard the business against potential lawsuits. While a proactive approach is always the most effective strategy to prevent damage, potholes and cracks can still appear out of nowhere. For this reason, it is vital the business establish a line of communication with your paving provider to ensure the damage is promptly repaired.

Maintenance of the Lot

Snow and ice can have damaging effects leading to cracks. Early cracking is usually a result of a poor installation however snow and ice can speed up the development of cracks.

Moisture attacks your parking lot from both above and below the lot surface.

  • From Below: Beneath the surface moisture digs into the gravel or sand that serves as your lots base. As the foundation shifts the surface tries to follow, and eventually can lead to cracking.
  • From Above: Above water from rain or snow melt can seep into crevasses in the asphalt and form cracks.

The best preventive step a business owner can take is to plow and remove the snow and ice promptly. If left unchecked, snow and ice Buildup poses a risk to customers and property.

In general, replacement is the best long term strategy for revitalizing a weathered parking lot. Our trusted experts can distinguish between repair and replacement, and help determine which option is most appropriate for your business. Be sure to consider each option when planning to restore your parking lot.

ADA Regulations

The U.S. Department of Justice issued new regulations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 2010. The new rules affect state and local governments, as well as public accommodations and commercial facilities.

The regulations include the new 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, outlining minimum accessibility requirements for buildings and facilities. If the business does not comply with these regulations, they can be held liable. Be sure to have your lines regularly remarked to improve appearance and stay current with ADA regulations.

Parking Space Size

When designing your parking lot, it is important to make the parking spaces large enough to accommodate customer cars. If the spaces are too small it can lead to more accidents and pose a risk to people and property.

  • Number of Shoppers: When determining the size of each parking space you must take into account the number of daily shoppers you anticipate to ensure you have enough space for customers to easily park.
  • Lot Size: The business must consider the size of the lot in determining how many parking spots of a given size can fit in the lot.
  • Business Type: If your business sells large items such as building materials or huge flat screen televisions, you should consider making the parking spaces larger to accommodate for the larger cars and trucks.

Now you have a better understanding of the profound effect parking has on your business it is time to get started! Fortunately, Greenway Industries can help you with all of your commercial paving. We complete every project efficiently, help cut costs, and deliver high quality results. Give us a call today!