Is your parking lot draining properly when it rains or large amounts of snow melt at one time? If not, it can lead to severe damage. Worse yet, when your parking lot isn’t draining correctly it can lead to floods and the property damage that goes along with it. So, how can you tell if you have a problem on your hands? First and foremost, take a walk around your parking lot after a rainstorm or when the snow cover melts. Take a good look at the puddles. Although puddles are a typical result of heavy rainfall, they should disappear after a day or two.
The next step is to walk the parking again a few days later. If the puddles are still there it’s a tell-tale sign that you’re having a drainage issue. You may notice that the puddles are still there, but the water level has gone down quite a bit. That may be a good thing. Some puddles take longer to drain than others, especially large and deep ones. However, if you see any white rings where the water level was before the water started to dissipate, that is another tell-tale sign that your parking lot is simply not draining correctly.
So, what’s the big deal if your parking lot isn’t draining correctly or draining at all? First and foremost, standing water is not good for the health of your parking lot. It tends to eat away at the asphalt. When excessive amounts of water absorb through the asphalt and get into the soil below it can corrode the structure. At that point, the asphalt will begin to crack, heave, and break apart. If that occurs, you may need to have it paved again, which is expensive. The good news is that the drainage issue may be something simple.
For example, if you parking lot has a catch basin or multiple catch basins they may be not be working properly. Catch basins are supposed to collect excessive amounts of water that are caused by rainstorms and snowmelt runoff. However, they can become clogged with debris. When that happens the catch basins do not function properly. In essence, they need to be cleaned by a professional. In fact, catch basins should be cleaned in the late fall and early spring in the minimum.
If the catch basins are not the cause of your parking lot drainage issues, it could be more serious. We will conduct a thorough assessment at that point. The bottom line is that problems with your parking lot drainage system shouldn’t be ignored. It can cause a lot more damage than the repair costs.
If you have any questions about our parking lot drainage service, or would like to get the process started we are happy to help. Please contact us today! Jolin Paving & Excavating, Inc. is your New England connection for a vast variety of environmentally related services. Our company has been serving Boston Massachusetts, Southern NH, VT & ME as well as Northern CT & RI since 1952. Please Contact us to learn more today.
Environmental related issues occur all of the time, and can strike at any time. That is exactly why you need to have a local and reliable environmental services company at the helm and ready to go whenever you actually need them.
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