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Asphalt vs. Concrete Parking Lot: Which Is the Better Choice?

Whether you’re planning on constructing a brand-new parking lot for your commercial or industrial property, or your existing pavement needs repairs, the decision between asphalt and concrete material isn’t one that you should take lightly.

Both asphalt and concrete have their strengths and weaknesses under different scenarios, but it’s important to take into consideration the specific attributes you’re looking for in a paving material. There’s no question that asphalt parking lots are far more common in North America than concrete and for a good reason.

So, what exactly is the difference between asphalt and concrete parking lots? And how can you determine which one is the better choice for your property? The fastest and easiest way to find out is to speak to a licensed contractor in your area to understand which option is best suited for your needs. Here, we provide a brief overview of why we think asphalt is a far superior parking lot paving material compared to concrete.

Faster Construction Timeline

Asphalt is comparatively faster, easier, and more affordable to install than concrete, which is a huge advantage for businesses of all sizes. Concrete pavement installation can cause longer business interruptions and delays. Every day that your business is closed due to parking lot constructions or repairs means losing more and more money. It also means that your employees will be temporarily laid off while your operations are on pause. Asphalt can be installed in as little as two days depending on the size of your parking lot and it can dry overnight.

The best time to install, repair, or perform maintenance on your asphalt parking lot is during your off-peak hours.

Asphalt Is More Cost-Effective

Overall, asphalt installation, repairs, and maintenance are all more cost-effective than concrete. Reconstructing concrete has been estimated to be approximately 35% more expensive than performing maintenance work on asphalt. Asphalt is also more versatile than concrete in the sense that rather than being completely replaced when damaged or at the end of its lifespan, it can be reformulated and reused. Your existing asphalt can be added to new aggregates as a binding agent, making repairs and maintenance a lot cheaper over time.

This also speeds up the asphalt mixing process and ensures that your new mixture will perfectly match your existing pavement. Concrete pavements, on the other hand, need to be completely replaced every couple of years using completely new aggregates and this can hike up your maintenance costs.

Maintenance Frequency

Another important category in which asphalt beats concrete by a landslide is maintenance frequency. Asphalt is known for being a lot lower maintenance than concrete due to its unparalleled durability, resiliency, and the high quality of the aggregates used. Routine asphalt maintenance involves sealcoating your pavement once every two to three years, which actually ends up saving you a lot of time and money in terms of long-term maintenance costs. As long as you take good care of your asphalt pavement, repairs and damages are few and far between.

Proper maintenance protocols can extend the lifespan of your asphalt parking lot and result in minimal repairs. Typically, routine maintenance includes cracking filling on first sight, repainted faded parking lines, milling, sealcoating, and more.

Longer Pavement Lifespan

There’s no doubt that performing routine maintenance and repairs can significantly extend the lifespan of any pavement. But asphalt stands out for a number of reasons.

The more you take care of your asphalt pavement, the greater your return on investment will be. Keep in mind, that your parking lot is an investment in your business. While damages are inevitable over the course of your pavement’s lifespan, repairing asphalt is a lot easier and more affordable than repairing concrete.

Asphalt can easily be patched up using a mixture that consists of your existing asphalt material, which keeps the cost of repairs and maintenance low. Also, sealcoating your asphalt once every two to three years has been proven to extend its overall lifespan between 20 to 30 years, while significantly limiting the frequency of major damages.

Environmentally-Friendly

It’s no secret that asphalt is one of the most environmentally-friendly and commonly recycled construction materials in the world. Dating back centuries, asphalt is extremely versatile and can be used for countless industrial and everyday applications. Excess asphalt that can’t be mixed with new aggregates is typically repurposed in waterproofing products including roofing felt or for sealing flat roofs.

Additionally, asphalt can also be found in the following items:

  • Newspaper ink
  • Cable coatings
  • Racetracks
  • Tennis courts
  • Dams
  • Damp proofing
  • Soundproofing
  • Reservoir and pool linings
  • Pipe coatings
  • Building waterproofing
  • Certain types of paint
  • Tile underlay and waterproofing
  • And many more

As you can see, asphalt is one of the most versatile construction materials in the world and can come in handy in a number of ways for your business.

Asphalt Withstands All Kinds of Weather Conditions

Asphalt parking lots are built to last a long time. Depending on where you live, the strength of the aggregate may vary based on regional climate. Ontario experiences a large range of temperatures and weather conditions from extreme heat in the summer (mid-July) to severe below freezing temperatures in the winter (November to the end of March). With that in mind, you need a durable paving material that can withstand hot and cold temperature fluctuations throughout the year (sometimes in the same day) along with resistance to windy, UV rays, hail, snow, ice, and heavy rain. Asphalt can do it all.

Is your asphalt in need of repair or maintenance? Are you interested in installing a brand new asphalt parking lot to increase the curb appeal of your commercial property?

Sure-Seal Pavement Maintenance Inc. has been providing exceptional asphalt installation, maintenance, and repair services in Toronto and the GTA for more than 20 years. We’re so confident in the quality of our work that we offer a comprehensive seven-year warranty to back it up. Contact us today to book a consultation for your asphalt project.

Lance Bradshaw

Lance Bradshaw, President and Founder of Sure-Seal Pavement Inc. 21 years experience in the Pavement Maintenance Industry. Seminar trainer and educator for Property Managers and Industry personnel. Currently serving on the Contractor Advisory Board for Gem-Seal Pavement Products Inc., Charlotte, N.C. Ontario Provincial distributor of Gem-Seal Pavement products through Pavement Maintenance Supply Depot, Toronto, Ontario.

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