The holiday rush can bring a whole host of positive things for businesses in a retail center. You’ve got more shoppers scanning the shelves of your stores than at any other time of the year. You have increased foot traffic, which means the ability to grow brand awareness and promote new stores and new offers in the retail center. And, of course, your bottom line is likely to see a spike in profits throughout the holiday season. But if your potential customers have to deal with unsafe or outdated asphalt in order to walk and drive to your retail center, they may skip the trip altogether. Here’s why it’s important to consider asphalt paving before the holiday rush, to ensure your stores reap all the benefits of the season.
Reasons to Consider Asphalt Paving Before the Holiday Rush
Keeping Your Customers and Staff Safe
Hiring a knowledgeable and reputable asphalt paving company is about more than just the aesthetics of great-looking asphalt on your property. First and foremost, you must keep the many people who walk your property safe from harm. This includes the staff members working your stores, maintenance crews coming in and out to clean every day, and of course, your customers.
Some common issues with problematic asphalt are cracking and buckling, which can cause uneven sidewalks and surface areas for the many people walking your property. All it takes is one customer tripping and falling to give your retail center a bad rap. And you certainly want to avoid the liability headache that could come from a major injury on your retail center property.
A commercial paving company can help ensure your sidewalks are safe for heavy pedestrian traffic. One of the most common services that retail centers might choose for these types of repairs is cut and patch repair. This asphalt paving repair service involves the removal of existing pavement damage and filling that space with fresh paving to restore asphalt to its original condition. It’s a great option for isolated paving deterioration, like smaller deteriorated, crumbling, or damaged areas.
Keeping Your Parking Lots Drivable and Parking-Friendly
If your customers need walkable sidewalks, they will also need drivable parking lots and driveways. Retail center shoppers may arrive by car, bike, or bus, so you’ll need to ensure that they can actually get to your retail center and maneuver around your parking lots safely.
Potholes are among the biggest issues in parking lots, especially in New England retail shopping centers. Potholes most often occur when there are small cracks or deterioration in the asphalt, and groundwater seeps in. As temperatures change, the freeze-thaw cycle can cause the asphalt to expand and contract based on the underlying groundwater freezing and thawing. Another common cause of pothole formation is heavy traffic. When asphalt cannot support the amount of traffic on top of it – say, in a busy or overcrowded parking lot – the asphalt material can begin to deteriorate, causing cracking and potholing.
This is where a commercial paving company can come in to turn things around completely. If your parking lots or driveways have seen extensive damage or haven’t been paved in quite some time, you might consider a full depth reclamation and reconstruction service. Because potholing affects the top layer of pavement as well as the sub-base below, you may need to go this route if you’re seeing a lot of potholes on your property. Full depth reclamation and reconstruction is the process of removing existing asphalt or concrete, replacing the base material, and repaving the road. If deterioration of paving/asphalt is significant enough, the pavement will be ground down to the base layer.
Keeping Your Grounds Prepared for Winter Weather
The benefits of asphalt paving don’t stop at your customers’ and staff members’ ability to walk and drive on your property. One of the biggest concerns for retail center owners and operators – especially in New England – is winter weather. The chilly temperatures and inclement weather in the Northeast region can wreak havoc on even the highest quality asphalt. But if you have existing damage or disrepair, the winter season could prove disastrous for your property.
Besides the expansion and contraction of pavement during the freeze-thaw cycle, you’re looking at a whole new set of risks during the winter months. Heavy snow plows can result in excess weight bearing down on the base and sub-base of your asphalt. If your sidewalks are uneven, plows might accidentally cause pieces of pavement to lift or shift, which may require replacements. Plus, the plows themselves – as well as metal shovels – can cause fissures and divots in your parking lots and driveways that may result in groundwater leaking in as temperatures warm up again. Snow removal methods like laying down rock salt can cause the same types of issues – increasing deterioration or causing new damage to the surface of your asphalt.
A smooth, even asphalt surface will allow snow plows to more easily and effectively remove the snow and ice from your parking lot or driveway without increasing any existing damage or causing new deterioration. You’ll find that shoveling becomes much easier (and we do recommend plastic shovels over metal). Plus, when asphalt is properly paved and sealed (and with ongoing maintenance), it can withstand harsh elements like snow, ice, and rock salt. Make sure your retail center is set up for success during the cold, snowy winters in New England. Take care of asphalt paving issues now, before they become much bigger problems in the future!
Keeping Your ADA Compliance Strong
One major and increasingly important consideration in the world of asphalt paving is ADA compliance. Not only should you absolutely be catering to customers with any special needs – ADA compliance violations can also spell trouble for your retail center. From whopping fines to court cases, you’ll want to protect yourself from potential liability issues.
Offering handicapped parking spaces is the bare minimum. What about wheelchair-accessible ramps and curb flares? Does your retail center include van parking with access aisles? And keep in mind that loose materials like gravel – or deteriorating asphalt – don’t typically pass ADA compliance requirements. Keep yourself and your customers safe and supported this holiday season and beyond by taking care of any ADA violations now.
Choosing the Right Service & the Right Timing
The asphalt paving services listed above are just a few options, and only you will know which one is right for your retail center. Working with a team of experts can help you identify issues and prioritize which services you may need before the holiday rush. You won’t want to have to close your parking lots or redirect traffic during the height of the holiday season, or else you may see your profitability suffer.
Keep in mind that some of these services – like full depth reclamation and reconstruction – might take significantly longer than others – like cut and patch repairs. The timing alone may help you prioritize which projects to get done right away, and which to wait on. Even if you need extensive repairs, you may be able to get through the season with a minor repair service and then schedule more major repairs during a quieter time at your complex. You’ll want to ensure you schedule asphalt paving and repair when the weather and temperatures are right, and when traffic at your retail center can be minimized.
Contact Cassidy Paving for Your Retail Center’s Paving Needs this Holiday Season
When it comes to asphalt paving and repair in the New England region, Cassidy Paving has you covered. We’re a family-owned and operated asphalt paving company serving customers throughout Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire, and we’re headquartered in Haverhill, MA. Needless to say, we know chilly winter weather, snow and ice removal, and how to navigate asphalt paving services in high-traffic areas. We’re committed to delivering excellent asphalt maintenance and repair services, all while causing the least amount of disruption to your retail center’s operations possible.
Our team of experts can quickly and skillfully assess your asphalt paving needs, whether it be full depth reconstruction, cut and patch repairs, or anything in between. And we can talk through your timing, budget, and business-related considerations to determine the best course of action to perform the services. We’ll never recommend services you don’t need, nor will we attempt to perform a service when the conditions aren’t optimal for it. Plus, we’ll communicate with you throughout the process, so you’ll never be left wondering what’s going on with your asphalt repair.
Our full-time, bonded, fully-insured crew has over 100+ years of combined experience and can speak knowledgeably about the processes being performed on your asphalt. Plus, we offer a guarantee on all new paving services to ensure your complete satisfaction. We can provide you with a no-pressure sales quote and discuss your scheduling needs. One thing you can count on with Cassidy Paving is full transparency. Contact us today to speak with our team of representatives and get your questions answered thoroughly.