Having your parking lot constructed and properly maintained by a professional construction company will increase the life expectancy of your pavement, considerably reducing your costs in the long run.

Maintenance can vary between small amounts of surface work to large, time-consuming lot overhauls. There are several steps that must be taken in the construction of new pavement, and each step is vital to the life expectancy of any type of asphalt surface. On its own, asphalt can last years, but extreme weather, overweight vehicles and regular impact to the pavement can cause its life expectancy to decline considerably. All it takes is one crack to allow water to penetrate, causing significant damage.

A properly maintained lot is inspected periodically to look for signs of damage and take remedial action. A damaged lot will create hazards and risks to occupants, and repairs cannot be indefinitely delayed. Follow the seven tips below to choose the right company for your paving needs every time.

1. Ensure the best quality results.

Forest Contractors, named one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies by Deloitte, has over 20 years of professional experience in asphalt repairs and new parking lot re-construction. Forest has been providing solutions to various large companies including several Fortune 500 companies for a number of years. Not only that, but the firm has the equipment and expertise required to use state of the art laser guided machinery and runs its own asphalt manufacturing facility, further guaranteeing quality.

2. Reuse the existing asphalt base, if possible.

Parking lots and other paved areas can often show signs of aging while the asphalt base remains stable. When this happens, instead of overhauling the whole lot, resurfacing the asphalt will increase the life expectancy of the paved region and increase thickness and durability.  Prior to resurfacing, Forest uses  sophisticated machinery to grind out the damaged asphalt, and resurface with new asphalt at a significantly lower cost.

Pavement is prone to cracks and potholes, and post-winter is when you may notice imperfections due to ice, snow, road salt and extreme weather. Cracks in asphalt can be both a disturbance and a hazard for those in transit. A contractor will use sealant, a flexible hot rubberized asphalt, to bond the crack walls to spot-correct damage. This material moves with the pavement as it shifts and changes. As seasons change and temperatures fluctuate, this substance expands and contracts with the ground, helping to prevent water intrusion and extending the life of the pavement.

3. Maintain catch basins and manholes.

Any low area of an asphalt surface requires regular maintenance to ensure water can easily flow through it. Since catch basins are located in lower areas of paved surfaces, they need to be maintained regularly to prevent or correct erosion. Finding cracked or allocated asphalt at the surface of catch basins or manholes is one way to detect deterioration.

Maintaining catch basins and manholes is important, as contractors widely believe that water is the most destructive element to pavement. It can leak into the base layers of pavement through cracks in the surface. Regular maintenance will prevent this from happening and extend the life of your paved surfaces.

4. Refresh painted lines and markings.

An easy way to make your lot look fresh and clean is to repaint faded lines and markings. Not only are these crucial for safe driving and parking, but a fresh coat of paint does wonders in making your pavement look good as new. Choose a company that follows all municipal bylaws and uses high quality technology and products for a lasting finish.

5. Use sophisticated technology.

Sustainable technologies have been steadily growing in popularity, and for good reason: the Earth must be protected as best we can. Forest Group, for example, uses cutting-edge green technology to execute projects with maximum efficiency and precision while also ensuring minimal impact to the environment.

“Innovation through creating value-added services and embracing new technology to drive productivity is a key part of our continued business success,” says Domenic Gurreri, president and founder of Forest Group.

6. Can help you immediately, even in an emergency.

In an emergency, the worst thing you can do is wait before checking out the damage. Instead, immediately contact a reliable contracting firm that offers 24-hour emergency support, like Forest Group. This step can minimize sustained damage and stop additional damage from occurring. Forest’s 24-hour service is manned by a senior manager with the authority to redirect resources to attend to emergencies

7. A reputation of excellence.

Customer service is the hallmark of Forest Group’s success. The company’s entire staff is trained in customer relations and they take pride in maintaining the brand as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies. Forest’s recurring customer base is testimony to its reputation in the industry.

“It is a great honour to be recognized as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies,” says Gurreri. “Managing a business of this nature has many challenges, which I have been able to overcome throughout the years with my exceptional employees at hand.”

Repaving a lot doesn’t have to be a stressful experience. Instead, turn to an experienced contractor that knows what they’re doing to get the job done painlessly. Repaving will not be a small investment for you, so why risk spending more down the road to correct past errors when you can get it right the first time?

To learn more, please visit www.forestgroup.ca.