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NVM Paving & Concrete, Inc.

Northern Virginia Paving Company

Commercial Property Parking Lots

6 Steps To Take Before Concrete Paving

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Effective and long-lasting concrete paving depends on proper preparation. To ensure your commercial lot is paved in a way that meets your expectations, discuss preparation strategies with your contractor. There are at least six steps a contractor should take before concrete paving begins:

1.    State a Start Date

Concrete planning, preparation, and paving require multiple days. Discuss a start date with the concrete contractor so you know when the area will not be accessible. This allows you to make alternative access arrangements for any employees and customers in advance.

2.    Define Project Outline

Crew members will delineate the physical area that is being paved or repaired. It is important that the squared edges meet your specifications while also appearing neat and professional. 

3.    Evaluate Former Surface

Before initiating new paving on a commercial lot, the contractor must evaluate the condition of the old surface. Sometimes it is possible to treat and pave over former concrete, while in other cases asphalt must be broken up and removed.

4.    Construct Base Layer

Once the project plan is in place and the former surface is addressed, it is possible to create the base pavement layer. This includes cutting into the existing surface and placing up to 8 inches of project specific crushed base material, such as crushed stone or concrete.

5.    Establish a Drainage System

When constructing the drainage system, the finished grade, the placement of forms and the strength of the base must be considered. This is important to prevent future water damages and flooding problems.

6.    Reinforce With Steel

The strength and effectiveness of pavement is a combination of proper planning, a good base layer and a grid reinforcing steel. Such steel is important to protect pavement against high levels of tension and weight that the pavement will experience in the future.

Contractors at NVM Paving and Concrete are ready to evaluate a potential project on site or to discuss questions and ideas. Contact us today either by calling 703-423-0471 or sending an email.

The Pros and Cons of Adding Curb Stops to Your Lot

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Properly utilized curb stops can provide a great deal of utility to your parking lot or garage. Unfortunately all too many lots feature curb stops which are used at inappropriate times or are inappropriately installed, and this instead leads to a great deal of frustration for drivers on the lot who see more harm than good coming from the stops. If you’re considering adding curb stops to your property, here are some important considerations to ensure that you get the best possible results.

Good Uses of Curb Stops

A curb stop which is being used correctly should be in place in order to prevent greater harm from occurring than the stop would cause on a car which strikes it. There are three primary situations in which adding a curb stop is extremely helpful:

  • When a parking spot is up against a wall, adding a curb stop reduces the chances of a vehicle striking the wall. This protects the car as well as the building and anyone inside the building on the other side of the wall.
  • Oftentimes permanent structures like metal poles are protected by curb stops. This is particularly helpful if the pole is sturdy and could cause massive damage to the car or elements attached to the pole.
  • When a parking spot abuts a pedestrian path, a curb stop is an essential safety tool to reduce the chances of a vehicle accidentally striking a person.

Bad Uses of Curb Stops

The main concerns when installing a curb stop come down to errors in the installation process.

  • Improperly aligned curb stops can cause more risk than they prevent. Placing stops with narrow gaps between them creates too small of a pedestrian lane and are a hazard.
  • Choosing the wrong size for your stops is another safety risk. While too large stops are likely to reduce pedestrian access, a stop that is not wide enough for the expected vehicles may fail to stop the vehicle sufficiently.

For the best curb stop installation contact NVM Paving & Concrete today at (703)-423-0471.

You Have a Pothole, Now What?

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Everyone who has a commercial parking lot will have to deal with a pothole at one time or another. When you get one, you may not know what to do next. What you don’t want to do, however, is to ignore it. Repairs are a must and here is what you need to do when you spot a pothole.

Importance of Repairs

Potholes occur when weather and traffic wear down on the pavement. If you have a lot of traffic in your commercial parking lot or if you have extreme weather, then you are going to have to deal with potholes in your commercial parking lot all of the time. Not only can these be dangerous to drivers, but also if you don’t have them fixed right away, they grow and end up worse later on. Depending on conditions, potholes grow. This is dangerous for pedestrians and vehicles. The larger the pothole, the more dangerous.

The best thing that you can do for your potholes is to have them repaired by a professional. Not only will this ensure that they will not return quickly, but you will know that the contractor did the best job possible. You always want a professional paver to handle your commercial parking lot.

Custom Asphalt Patching

Professional and experienced paving contractors know how to perform custom asphalt patching. If you need a custom mix or custom repair job, you can make sure that you have the right match to your pavement. The idea is to make sure that the pothole is completely filled and that you don’t have to worry about it growing any larger. Likewise, you naturally want to make sure that the parking lot’s appearance is maintained.

When it comes to potholes, you don’t want to keep them around in your parking lot. Not only are they dangerous, but they are unsightly. The best course of action is to have them fixed right away. For more information on pothole repair, contact NVM Paving & Concrete by calling 703-423-0471 or sending an email to [email protected] today!

Guidelines for ADA Parking Lot Striping

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When you construct, restripe or repaint your parking lot, there are regulations. There is a minimum amount of handicapped spaces and you need to correctly mark them to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Number of Spaces Required

No matter how many spaces you have, you always have to designate the first space to meet the requirements for van accessibility. When it comes to the number of spaces, it depends on the amount of spaces that you have.

  • In lots with fewer than 100 spaces, you need one handicapped space for every 25 spaces.
  • If you have less than 150 spaces and more than 100, then you need five spaces.
  • If you have between 201 and 300 spaces, then you need seven spaces.
  • If you have more than 301 spaces, then you need one out of every eight marked as handicapped.

Sizing of Spaces

The spaces have to be about eight feet in width. They also have to have an access aisle with about eight feet for van-accessible spaces and five feet for automobile spaces. The access aisle does not intrude into the space and needs to run the entire length of it.

Likewise, the ADA spaces have to provide access to the building by the shortest and most direct route. If there are curbs in the path, then you have to have a ramp. The ramp cannot intrude into the parking space or access aisle either.

Marking Spaces

An international symbol denotes a handicapped space. You need to have the symbol painted along with a sign installed on the front of the space. For van accessible spaces, the sign must also state that.

When it comes to marking your spaces for ADA compliancy, it’s important to have a contractor that understands the different laws and guidelines for parking lot striping. If you’re about to repaint or construct a new parking lot, contact NVM Paving & Concrete by calling us at 703-423-0471 or sending an email to [email protected] .

Spring is Best for Planting Gardens and Scheduling Asphalt Work

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If you’ve determined it’s time to get your commercial lot repaired or replaced and you just need to figure out when to schedule it, take a look at the end of March through the third week in June. Or to put it differently, try to schedule asphalt work during the spring. Spring is irrefutably the best time to hire an asphalt paving company.  

Hot, Hot, Hot

The summer months can be hot, but working in asphalt during the summer can be unbearably hot. When it’s 90 degrees outside, asphalt can reach temperatures of 150 degrees. This can make conditions unbearably hot and unpleasant to work in. Rather than risk having a company reschedule due to hot weather and having to re-notify hundreds of tenants, it’s best to schedule when it will be a bit cooler.

Hot Mix Asphalt Can’t Be Too Hot

Asphalt is more or less a liquid before it gets poured onto a surface. As long as it’s kept warm “hot mix” asphalt will remain in a liquefied form until necessary. If temperatures cool down, however, the mixture can cool down and thicken, which makes it difficult to spread evenly. Spring provides the best temperatures to ensure asphalt is properly mixed and can spread easily.   

Rain

Although asphalt repairs can be completed in light rain, heavy rains may cause the asphalt to cool too quickly. Or worse, too much rain can get inside the asphalt mixture and compromise the integrity of the asphalt quality.

Get Ahead of Last Minute Scheduling

Not everyone is going to be on the ball when it comes to asphalt repair and maintenance scheduling. Chances are several people will try to schedule asphalt services before the fall and winter rains hit, and it could prove difficult to secure a spot if you don’t plan ahead.  

Spring is the best possible time to get your paving projects completed by a professional. Unfortunately, most people already know this and will be trying to schedule spring asphalt or repair work as well. Be sure to call NVM Paving and Concrete at 703-423-0471 or send an email to [email protected] to secure your appointment as soon as possible.

Winter Weather Woes for Commercial Parking Lots

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Like all infrastructure, asphalt parking lots need to be properly maintained in order to prolong their lifespan. Harsh winter weather can accelerate the need for preventative maintenance because there are several ways snow, ice, and/or excessive rain can damage a parking lot. Below are some of the most common signs of winter weather damage to a parking lot.

Cracking

Cracking, also commonly referred to as alligator cracking, is the most common symptom of winter weather damage. Cracking occurs when water gets into the small crevices of the asphalt and then when temperatures freeze the water gets trapped and becomes ice. Water expands when it freezes and the small crevices soon become large cracks that threaten the integrity of the overall parking lot construction.

Potholes

Potholes can be created the same way cracks are created, by water seeping into areas and then expanding as it freezes when temperatures get cold enough. Potholes are larger and more concentrated than cracks, though, and if not treated quickly can get worse quickly. Unlike cracks, though, potholes can cause significant damage to tenant’s cars, which could become a liability.  

Pooling Water

Pooling water or standing water is another common type of winter damage. If there are small puddles in your parking lot after a heavy rain you might have drainage issues, which are often exasperated by winter rains.  

Faded Markings

Most people think faded markings on asphalt or concrete are due to sun. While the sun can cause fading, rain and snow can too. Paint markings that are submerged under water or snow for a sustained length of time can be worn down. From a safety perspective, having highly visible parking lot markings in a large, shared parking lot is critical.    

Whatever kind of weather damages you may be experiencing, NVM Paving & Concrete, Inc. can assist you with any and all asphalt repair and maintenance needs. Give us a call at 703-423-0471 or send an email to [email protected] to schedule an appointment today.  

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