If you’re not familiar with their differences, you might not put much thought into which paving material is best for your parking lot. However, considering heavy vehicles will be parking on it regularly, you want to choose the one that can withstand this daily wear and tear and last for decades. Asphalt provides a couple of benefits that make it the ideal choice for most business owners.

Resilient to Cracking

Concrete is made by mixing an aggregate—typically crushed rock and sand—with cement and water. When combined, the cement acts as a binder to hold the aggregate together. Once the mixture begins to dry, it becomes solid and stiff, which makes it prone to cracking and breaking when heavy objects are placed on top of it—especially if there are imperfections in the layer beneath it.

Although asphalt is also made using an aggregate, it uses bitumen as its binder—a dark, sticky substance made from crude oil. This mixture is then poured over a heavier bed of aggregate, where it will be pressed together by a steamroller. While it will also become strong when cooled, asphalt maintains a certain level of flexibility to offset any underlying imperfections.

Easy to Maintain

Around six months after your asphalt parking lot has been installed, you will need to have it sealed. Seal coating helps to prevent cracks and other damage in the material and should be completed every three to five years. In addition to sealing, concrete will also need to be cleaned with a degreaser periodically to remove any stains.

Even though cracks can occur in both materials, those in asphalt can often be seamlessly repaired, but cracks in concrete will diminish the material’s appearance even after they are repaired. Additionally, if your asphalt starts to wear down, you can easily have it resurfaced, but this is not possible with concrete. Finally, if you are located in a colder region, asphalt is more likely to hold up. Concrete will often develop pits and cracks if it is in regular contact with snow and ice.   

Whether you are looking to install a new asphalt parking lot or need your old one resurfaced or sealed, the team at Professional Asphalt Service in Long Lake, MN, can help. They have been serving the Minneapolis and St. Paul area for over 25 years and have built up a solid reputation with over 1,400 commercial clients. Speak to one of their asphalt contractors today by calling (612) 636-8888. You can also learn more about their services by visiting their website.