Simply put, your business isn’t complete unless there’s a place for customers to park. When designing this asphalt surface, you’ll have to consider a number of factors, including its appearance and the needs of the people that will use it. To get your planning process off on the right foot, take advantage of the following tips.

What to Consider When Designing a Parking Lot

1. Vehicle Weight

Depending on the type of business you run, your parking lot may see a variety of different vehicles. Are your customers driving sedans and sports cars, or SUVs and pickup trucks? If you expect to see RVs or semi-trailers — even those just stopping to make deliveries — you’ll need the asphalt to be thick enough to withstand the weight of the vehicles and the loads they carry.

2. Drainage

If the grade of your parking lot doesn’t direct rainwater and melted snow to the drainage point efficiently, the moisture will pool and become stagnant on your parking lot. Over time, it will soak into the asphalt, saturating the subgrade beneath it. This will compromise the parking lot’s structural stability, making it more prone to cracks and potholes. Pooling water could also endanger your customers, so it’s important to work with a company that will measure and execute the appropriate slope.

3. Overall Size

How many customers do you expect to receive at your busiest time of year? While malls and grocery stores may need massive parking lots that can fit hundreds of visitors, small boutiques and mom-and-pop hardware stores may never expect more than 20 customers at a time. When considering the overall size of your parking lot, make sure to leave room for employee vehicles as well—you don’t want to turn away customers who can’t find a space.

If you’re preparing to complement your property with an attractive, long-lasting parking lot, turn to Alpha Seal Coating, Pavement Maintenance of Glastonbury, CT. They have over 10 years of experience paving and sealing asphalt surfaces, so your customers can safely use the lot for years to come. To learn more about their parking lot design and sealing process, call (860) 816-0851 and arrange for an estimate. You can also visit their Facebook page for more details.