How Asphalt Milling Can Restore The Appearance Of Your Parking Lot When Combined With Resurfacing
It's natural for asphalt driveways to degrade over time but that doesn't mean you need to have the driveway torn out and replaced. An asphalt contractor can often restore the parking lot for a lower cost than a full replacement so you get many years of use before the lot has to be replaced. One method of repairing an old asphalt lot is milling. This is why milling could be a good method for your parking lot restoration.
Asphalt Milling Removes The Surface Of The Lot
Milling is the process of grinding away a portion of the top of the asphalt parking lot. This is done with heavy machinery, and the busted up pieces of asphalt can then be recycled and used to pour new asphalt. One important reason for milling before applying a new layer of asphalt is so the parking lot remains the original height. If the contractor just applied a new layer of asphalt each time, the parking lot would get higher and higher and cause problems with drainage and transitions to the street and sidewalks.
Asphalt Milling Repairs Remove Damaged Areas
Another benefit of milling away part of the asphalt is that damaged areas of asphalt are removed during the process. Milling takes out cracks, gashes, and other imperfections in the lot so the asphalt is smooth and level. This gives the new asphalt a sturdy base so the lot is strong and lasts a long time.
Milling Is Less Expensive Than Replacing The Lot
Since milling only works on the surface of the parking lot, the base under the asphalt has to be in good shape for milling repairs to be effective. If the base has shifted or sunk, the asphalt has to be torn out so repairs can be done to the base. The contractor may need to tear out and replace the entire lot or just the area where the base is damaged. If the base is stable, milling the top of the lot will save a lot of money over tearing out the old asphalt or putting in a new base.
Asphalt Milling Prepares The Lot For New Asphalt
Milling is just one step in the restoration process. The next step is pouring on more hot asphalt. When this is done and the asphalt has cured, your parking lot will look new since the surface will be free of cracks and the color is restored to a deep black color. The final step in the restoration process is to apply parking stripes. You may ultimately want to have a sealcoat applied so the asphalt has protection from UV rays and rain, but your contractor may advise you to give the new layer of asphalt weeks or months to finish curing before a sealcoat is added. Look for asphalt milling repair services near you for more information.