10 Perfectly Paved Parking Lots (+ Tips to Make Yours Look This Good)

Unfortunately, parking lots are like haircuts and referees: People usually only notice them when they’re bad.

 

So we thought we would give some beautiful parking lots the well-deserved spotlight, and some tips on how to make your business’ parking lots stand out too. After all, who wouldn’t want the spike in curb appeal that a well-paved parking lot gives?

Perfectly Paved Parking Lots You’ll Want to Copy:

1. The marking lines are vibrant, uniform and highly visible. The parking lot is also clean and spacious enough for cars to drive in and out without a hassle.

2. Perfectly paved asphalt parking lot with thermoplastic pavement markings. The stripes are clearly visible and homogeneous all through.

3. Clearly marked asphalt parking lot for those with a disability. Blue lines used for differentiation and image signs for enhanced visibility.

4. This perfectly paved parking lot incorporates green parking into its design. Grass grows in between the paving blocks.

5. Smooth asphalt paving with trees on the sides for aesthetic beauty and some shade.

6. A paved parking lot with artistic markings that improve the visual appeal of the space.

7. A slope-paved parking lot for better drainage. It combines both asphalt and concrete to make the space look more than ‘normal.’

8. Smooth asphalt paving. There are no visible joints on this parking lot meaning that the asphalt was well laid.

9. Striped parking lot with good directional signs. Direction signage is important in controlling traffic.

10. This asphalt parking lot overlay completed at Mallard Square in Marion Park has no bumps, seams, or uneven spots — making the perfect smooth driving surface. 

Tips to Make Your Parking Lot Perfect:

1. Determine whether you want a new lot or just re-pavement

This is the first, and most important, step to building a perfectly paved parking lot. Determine whether you wish to re-pave your existing parking lot or construct a new one, and what each option needs. 

Re-paving will save you money in the short-run, but if your lot is extensively damaged, it will be better to opt for a new pavement.

When building new, start with the sub-base and get it right. It is the most critical part of a new asphalt paving as it provides a stable surface to support the new pavement. A professional contractor will then guide you on how to apply asphalt depending on your pavement’s expected traffic and durability.

2. Hot roll the joints for a smooth appearance

When laying the asphalt, consider hot rolling the joints to get a good seem and achieve a uniform appearance throughout the parking lot. Joints are weak spots and that’s where asphalt starts to crack. If you able to lay adjacent paving lanes with asphalt while it’s hot, you can be able to roll the joints between them and make them disappear. 

The results will look much better and your pavement will last longer.

3. Compaction testing

You need to carry out some sound quality control steps to make sure that the paving achieves optimum density. It will be necessary to check if the aggregate base has an optimum number of voids to enable it lock together better. 

A Nuclear Densometer can come in handy in determining whether you are using the ideal density for each course of asphalt (that is measuring the effectiveness of your rolling and compaction efforts).

4. Striping and painting

Clean and leave the pavement to dry before beginning the painting process. Ensure that the stripes are well laid out, clearly visible, uniform, and visually appealing. Do not forget to use direction signs and mark parking spots for the disabled.

[Click here for a comprehensive guide to striping and paving]

5. Subgrade drainage system

Before installing the subgrade, make sure you have a drainage system in place to drain water away from your parking lot, such as using underground storm sewers and underdrains. Without a subgrade drainage system, your pavement will not hold up for a long time. 

Keep note; this system needs to be designed by an expert engineer.

With the above few tips and help from a professional contractor, you can have a perfectly paved parking lot as perfect as the ones shown above.