Asphalt maintenance and asphalt installation are two different businesses, and the distinction matters when you are trying to figure out who to call for a parking lot or driveway problem. Reliable Pavement Maintenance does not install new asphalt. What the company does is keep existing asphalt performing longer, bring parking lots into ADA compliance, and handle the range of surface work that sits between installation and full replacement. Contact Reliable Pavement Maintenance at (407) 924-8228 to find out which of these services your property needs.
What is the difference between asphalt installation and asphalt maintenance?
An asphalt installation company tears out existing pavement and pours new asphalt. That is a significant construction project with a corresponding cost. An asphalt maintenance company works with the asphalt that is already in place and focuses on extending its life and function through protective treatments, repairs, and surface improvements. The two types of companies serve the same surface but at completely different stages of its life cycle.
For most parking lots and driveways that are not yet at end-of-life, maintenance is the appropriate and cost-effective answer. A properly maintained asphalt surface can last significantly longer than one that receives no attention between the day it was installed and the day it finally needs replacement. Reliable Pavement Maintenance operates in that window, extending the useful life of existing asphalt and keeping it functional and compliant.
What specific services does an asphalt maintenance company provide?
Sealcoating is the core service and the most common one. Asphalt sealer is applied to the surface to protect it from UV degradation, water penetration, and the oxidation that causes asphalt to fade, crack, and lose its binder structure over time. The timing of sealcoating matters: it is most effective when applied to asphalt that is still in sound condition, typically on a three-to-five-year schedule based on traffic levels.
Traffic-rated paint line striping is the next major service. Parking lots require clearly marked parking spaces, directional arrows, fire lanes, crosswalks, and other surface markings to function safely and efficiently. Over time, line striping fades and becomes difficult to read. Reliable Pavement Maintenance installs traffic-rated paint that meets the visibility and durability standards required for the application.
Small asphalt patch repair addresses localized damage: potholes, crumbled surface areas, and sections where the asphalt has failed before the surrounding pavement. Patching before sealing is the correct sequence for surfaces with both localized damage and areas in good condition. Sealing over unaddressed damage does not fix it.
What does ADA compliance have to do with parking lot maintenance?
More than most property owners realize until they are facing a liability issue or a complaint. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires parking lots serving the public to provide accessible parking spaces in the correct number, marked with the correct dimensions and signage, with accessible routes from those spaces to building entrances. Many existing parking lots are not compliant, either because they were built before current standards or because markings and signage have faded or been lost over time.
Reliable Pavement Maintenance installs ADA-compliant truncated dome mats at curb transitions, concrete parking bumpers, and the signage and posts required to bring a parking lot into compliance. These are not cosmetic details. They are legal requirements for facilities that serve the public, and the liability exposure from a non-compliant lot is real.
How do property owners know which combination of services their parking lot or driveway needs?
A surface assessment is the starting point. The condition of the asphalt, the state of existing line striping, whether any ADA elements are missing or damaged, and the traffic patterns the lot handles all factor into what a maintenance plan looks like. There is no single answer that applies to every property. A newly sealed residential driveway and a high-traffic commercial parking lot that has not been touched in a decade have completely different needs. Contact Reliable Pavement Maintenance at (407) 924-8228 to schedule an assessment of your property and get a straightforward picture of what it needs and in what order.