Everything You Need to Know about Puddles in Parking Lots

Large or small longstanding puddles on your parking lot signify a number of potentially damaging and expensive issues for your asphalt pavement. Most notably, puddle formations can mean that the structural integrity of your asphalt parking lot has been compromised or was poorly constructed from the beginning. Other issues like poor drainage or a damaged catch basin could also be to blame. Whatever the reason is behind the puddle formations on your asphalt parking lot, you need to make sure you have the issue(s) resolved sooner rather than later before it gets much worse.

If every time it rains you notice multiple puddles across your asphalt parking lot, then the first thing you need to do is try to identify the cause so that you can fix the problem.

What Causes Puddles in Parking Lots?

As mentioned, there are numerous potential reasons behind puddles in parking lots. Here are just a few of the most common causes of pooling water.

Heavy Vehicular Traffic

While a busy commercial parking lot is usually a good sign for retailers and other types of businesses, it’s not always a good thing for your asphalt pavement. Whether you have a lot of large vehicles like vans, pickup trucks, SUVs, delivery trucks, or cargo trucks, the heavy weight and tire traction from these vehicles can put a lot of pressure on your asphalt pavement. That’s why you may start to notice a few dips, depressions, and even crack formations over time.

These dips and depressions can be made worse over time as they fill up with rainwater or heavy snow and ice in the winter months. The more you neglect these dips and depressions, the deeper they’ll get over time and the more expensive it’ll be to fix them. Regular asphalt maintenance can help prevent this from becoming a major problem.

Broken or Inadequate Drainage System

A broken-down, clogged, or inadequate drainage system can be detrimental to the longevity of your asphalt parking lot. If a part of your catch basin breaks or becomes clogged, then that can cause rain water to back up onto your parking lot. Eventually, the more backed up water there is, the more it’ll penetrate the pores of your asphalt and cause internal damages to the structure of your parking lot. You’ll start to notice areas where the ground is uneven and water is pooling.

Another issue is that if you have an inadequate drainage system that’s incapable of accommodating the size and layout of your parking lot or one that’s just poorly designed, it means the excess water most likely won’t drain properly.

Inadequately or Poorly Compacted Asphalt

In order to form a solid foundation for vehicles of all sizes to be driven on your parking lot, you need to make sure that the asphalt is properly compacted. Unfortunately, this is difficult to do if you’re not there during the construction phase and some contractors would rather cut corners just to save some money or get the job done faster. Inadequate compaction can make the asphalt more susceptible to breaking apart rather than binding together.

The areas where the asphalt breaks apart can easily collect rainwater or melted water from snow and ice over time.

What Is the Impact of Longstanding Puddles on Your Asphalt Pavement?

Asphalt pavement is one of the most durable and reliable paving materials in the world. But in order to guarantee a long and mostly incident-free lifespan, you have to take good care of it. Excellent asphalt pavement maintenance entails fixing minor damages before they transition into larger problems and applying protective sealcoating once every two to three years or as needed.

Failing to properly maintain your asphalt parking lot can lead to extensive and expensive damages in the long run. Cracks, potholes, dips, depressions, and edging should all be repaired by professional contractors immediately. Neglecting these types of damages can lead to water collection and further erosion.

Once water starts to collect in certain parts of your asphalt parking lot, those areas will then be further weighed down by the heavy weight of the water and any other debris that may find its way there. Eventually, the binding agents in the asphalt will weaken and break down completely. When that happens, the pooling water and the debris it collects will penetrate the surface of the asphalt, further breaking it down layer by layer.

The deeper the problem goes, the more challenging and expensive it’ll be to repair. Eventually, a partial or complete asphalt overlay could become necessary and that’ll cost you thousands of dollars to implement.

While regular asphalt maintenance can come with a hefty price tag for a lot of business owners, the cost of maintenance pales in comparison to the cost of extensive repairs.

How to Prevent Puddle Formations in Asphalt Parking Lots

If the thought of repairing asphalt damages caused by puddles intimidates you, then you’re in luck because there are a few effective preventative measures you can take.

Patch Up Cracks, Dips, and Depressions

Making minor repairs is an essential component to preventing longstanding puddle formations on your asphalt pavement. Dips and depressions might seem like harmless problems, but over time, they can expand and spread throughout different parts of your parking lot. Patching up cracks and levelling out dips and depressions will prevent pothole formations and also extend the lifespan of your parking lot in the long run.

Repair or Replace a Damaged Drainage System

Your drainage system is one of the most important components of your asphalt parking lot, which is why you need to maintain it regularly and make sure that it’s always in tiptop working condition. This is especially crucial in the winter months when your asphalt parking lot is most likely to accumulate the most water. As mentioned, if your drainage system is clogged or broken down, then that will result in inadequate or no water drainage whatsoever. Eventually that excess water will flood your drainage system and you’ll see large amounts of backflow on your asphalt pavement.

Regularly maintaining and cleaning out your drainage system will keep it running without issue for a longer period of time.

Are you having asphalt issues?

Sure-Seal Pavement Maintenance Inc. has the right solutions for you. For over 20 years, we’ve been the preferred asphalt contractors for commercial property owners in Toronto and the GTA. Contact us today to book a consultation!