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NVM Paving & Concrete, Inc.

Northern Virginia Paving Company

Commercial Property Parking Lots

Spring Is an Excellent Time for Parking Lot Maintenance

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Invest In Parking Lot Maintenance This Spring

The East Coast faces its share of harsh winter weather, and this year was no exception. Unfortunately, tough winters can do quite a number on asphalt and concrete surfaces. The frequent cycles of freeze and thaw, as well as the presence of snow, rain, and ice, can increase tiny cracks in a parking lot to much larger openings. This will eventually form potholes and degrade your company’s property, not to mention shorten the lifespan of your parking lot.

Winter has a way of exploiting any weakness in your paved surfaces, making spring maintenance almost inevitable. At NVM Paving & Concrete, we consider early spring to be the ideal time to inspect your parking lot or other structures for potential problems.

Free Estimates and Inspections

At your request, we can send over a trained technician to look over your parking lot. The technician will walk the length and width of your lot, looking for small cracks and other defects. Our team will let you know if there are any problems and devise a plan of action to seal cracks, provide seal coating, and repair potholes.

If your parking lot has no noticeable damage, should you still schedule a post-winter inspection? Absolutely. Preventative maintenance saves your company money and time. It also ensures your parking lot looks its best after a hard winter. There are likely smaller problems that would have gone unnoticed until they were large, costly problems. Our technicians can detect these small problems and nip them in the bud. Catching these issues early offers the following benefits:

  • Save money in the long run
  • Improve the look of your parking lot
  • Increase safety and security for clients
  • Prolong the life of your surfaces

Comprehensive Parking Lot Services

Repairing defects is just one of the services we provide to help you maximize the value of your parking lot and other surfaces. We also offer professional line striping, asphalt milling, sealcoating, and more. At NVM Paving & Concrete, our work is critical to providing your company with long-lasting surfaces, as well as offering safety and security for everyone who comes to your place of business. Call 703-423-0471 or email us today to get the most value out of your parking lot.

Asphalt vs Concrete: Which Is Right For You?

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Should You Choose Asphalt or Concrete For Your Parking Lot?

When it comes to pavement options, you are likely faced with the choice of asphalt versus concrete. If you’re working on a project to improve your commercial property, you might be considering the pros and cons of each. Is asphalt or concrete your best option?

Considering Texture

Asphalt and concrete have two very different textures. Asphalt is smoother than concrete and tends to absorb sound, offering a quieter ride for vehicles. Concrete can be decorative, with differing textures making up unique designs, so if having a decorative parking lot is more important to you than noise levels, concrete is the way to go. If you prefer quiet simpleness, you should choose asphalt.

Predicting Repairs

When you compare the number of repairs needed for concrete versus asphalt, you’ll want to consider the amount of heavy traffic the parking lot will see. If you’re paving a lot that will see a lot of heavy traffic, concrete may require fewer repairs than asphalt over time. If your parking lot is in an isolated area with moderate traffic, asphalt holds up quite nicely.

Adding Coloration

If you plan to add colors to your parking lot, choose concrete. You can tint concrete with a variety of colors other than gray. Both concrete and asphalt allow you to add striping for parking spaces, crosswalks, and more. However, paint tends to last longer on concrete, so if you have several largely painted areas, concrete allows you to repaint them less frequently.

Planning Timing

One important consideration is the timing of your project. Asphalt just needs to be compacted with a roller, and it’s ready for use immediately. This makes asphalt the obvious choice for those on a tight schedule.  Concrete has to cure for about a week after it is laid, so if time isn’t an issue and concrete checks all the boxes in other areas, it will be worth waiting for.

Contact Us for a Free Estimate

At NVM Paving & Concrete, we are experts in both asphalt and concrete. Call 703-423-0471 or email us today and find out which option is best for you.

Understanding What Happens to Asphalt in the Winter

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As asphalt ages, it begins to crack. This happens due to weathering, chemicals, and heavy traffic. Due to the harshness of winter weather, you may notice more cracks than ever come spring.

Why Asphalt Cracks in Winter

In the winter, asphalt goes through a freeze-thaw cycle. If moisture seeps into the pavement, it will freeze, expand and subsequently break the asphalt. Temperature fluctuation puts a lot of stress on the pavement, which is why most cracks appear in the winter.

How to Prevent Cracks in Winter

During cold winters, it can be difficult to prevent cracks in your asphalt parking lot. Sometimes, you cannot predict whether your asphalt will crack or not, regardless of how cold it is. You can, however, prevent cracks from becoming worse by making sure they are all filled before winter hits.  Any damages to your parking lot will become worse in freezing conditions. The more you focus on preventative maintenance, the less you will have to worry about cracking. Be sure to keep this in mind during fall maintenance.

How to Fill Cracks in Winter

You cannot permanently fill the cracks during the winter, but you can have a permanent patch placed. This is known as cold patching. Cold patching will prevent your asphalt from incurring further damage. However, you will still have to patch the concrete permanently in the spring.

How Long Crack Filler Takes to Dry

When you can fill the cracks, the filler doesn’t technically dry. Instead, it hardens as it cools down. Within minutes, the asphalt may be safe to drive on. In the warmer months, we may dust over the cracks with black silica sand to speed up the cooling.

If you are tired of living with cracked pavement, contact NVM Paving & Concrete as soon as possible! We specialize in servicing commercial properties.

3 Things You Need To Know About Asphalt Parking Lots

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Everything you do for your business will play into the impression you make on customers, clients, and tenants. As a property or business owner, it’s important that you take care of your parking lot. It’s just as important as the landscape and the façade of your building. So, what do you need to know about asphalt parking lots?

The Sub-Layer Is Most Essential

While the top layer of your asphalt lot will make a good first impression, the sub-layer is essential to the success of your asphalt parking lot. At NVM Paving & Concrete, we pay special attention to the sub-layer installation to ensure structural integrity over every inch of your lot. A properly installed sub-layer helps you avoid untimely repairs due to cracking, shifting, sinking, and other common asphalt parking lot issues.

Asphalt Is Recyclable

When you choose asphalt for your parking lot, you’re choosing to play a part in keeping the earth healthy. Asphalt is entirely recyclable, and it can be made from other products as well. Asphalt shingles, concrete, and oil are often recycled and used in asphalt, making it one of the top recycled products nationwide.

Experience Is Essential

When you hire someone to complete an asphalt parking lot installation for your business, you’re putting a lot of trust in those professionals, and experience is an essential part of this process. At NVM Paving & Concrete, we have been professionally installing and caring for asphalt parking lots since 1985. With every job and every year that passes, we grow and develop as a company, making great strides for Virginia, Maryland, and DC communities. You can rest assured your asphalt parking lot will be installed correctly when you hire our professionals.

Contact Us To Get Started

If you are ready to get started, contact NVM Paving & Concrete by calling 703-423-0471 or emailing us today!

What Makes Parking Lot Striping Critical to Your Business

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When it comes to your everyday business tasks, you may not think about the state of your parking lot. In a lot of situations, it may be out-of-sight and out-of-mind. Unfortunately, neglected parking lots aren’t missed by your customers and clients. Improper or faded striping can put the following things at risk creating a considerable disadvantage. 

Safe Parking

Have you ever been to an unmarked parking lot? It may feel like a free-for-all. Striping on a lot directs both drivers and pedestrians. With crosswalks and marked spots, it is difficult for the cars to disobey the rules of the parking lot. You can control the flow of traffic and create visual messages.

ADA Compliance

If you have an unstriped parking lot, you will not have spaces for your patrons that have disabilities. The Americans With Disabilities Act requires you to designate handicapped spaces. Without striping, clients may have a difficult time determining which spaces are designated for them. Providing these spaces is required by the ADA, if you fail to do so, you will face penalties.

Professional Appearance

Your parking lot is the first impression that clients have of your business. If the striping is faded or non-existent, it gives off the impression that you don’t care for your company. Clients may assume that you are unprofessional and care very little for your customers, and they will be reluctant to trust you with their business. 

Increased Capacity

If people can park anywhere, you may not be maximizing your parking lot’s capacity. When you designate parking spaces for your guests, they will be less likely to park haphazardly. Carefully planning where to put each parking space helps you make the most of your lot.

Does your lot need restriping? Contact NVM Paving & Concrete today to get started!

Can Your Parking Lot Impact Your Business?

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When clients pull up to your business, their first impression comes from the parking lot. Unfortunately, many property managers and business owners do not give enough attention to this particular area. Slacking on exterior maintenance, especially your parking lot, can have negative effects on your business.

Lack of Maintenance Hurts Your Business

Your parking lot can represent your business. If a client arrives and your parking lot is full of cracks and potholes, it implies that you care little about your company and even less about the client him or herself. When you don’t maintain the parking lot, clients, tenants, and other guests are less likely to visit the building. Additionally, guests are more likely to damage their cars in the parking lot that receives very little maintenance.

Ineffective Traffic Flow Frustrates Clients

If your parking lot is ineffective, clients are less likely to visit your company. A parking lot with faded striping, inaccessible locations, or poorly sized parking spaces can become frustrating to your guests. In addition to frustration, your parking lot may not be safe. For instance, with inadequate striping and no markings for directional flow, car accidents are likely to occur. When disabled clients visit your business and the parking lot is inaccessible, not only can you face penalties, but those clients are less likely to visit again.

When it comes to running your business, you may think that the parking lot is inconsequential. After all, you want to be judged on your company, not on the parking lot. At NVM Paving & Concrete, we understand that your customer’s first impression may come from the parking lot. With that knowledge, we can ensure that your clients won’t have any qualms about the lot. If you need paving and concrete services for your commercial or multi-family property, call 703-423-0471 or send us an email today!