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The parking lot outside of your building is an essential part of your business. It’s the first thing customers and employees see, and it’s the last thing they remember when they leave. Many people view parking lots as unpleasant places that are hot, dirty, and unsafe. 

By taking care of your lot, you can wow customers and employees and elevate the whole tone of your establishment. Maintenance, thoughtful planning, and concern for your customers will transform your parking lot into a welcoming space. Here are seven ways you can improve your parking lot. 

Use Permeable Pavement

Unlike conventional asphalt, permeable pavement includes pores that allow water to run through the parking lot into the ground underneath. This reduces toxic runoff from the lot and protects the surrounding environment.  

Although permeable pavement isn’t as physically solid as conventional pavement, it is strong and incredibly durable. Using permeable pavement may even save your business money by reducing the need for other drainage solutions. 

Fix Cracks

It’s essential to fill any cracks in your parking lot’s pavement as soon as possible. Cracks weaken the structure of your lot and spread quickly after they first appear. If left unchecked, water can fill these cracks and then freeze, making them much wider than before. 

Dirt and grit will start to accumulate in cracks as well. Nothing looks more unkempt for a business than to have weeds growing up through cracks in their lot’s pavement. The longer you wait to fix cracks, the harder and more expensive it will be to update your lot. 

Reseal Surfaces

One of the best ways to protect your asphalt from cracking is by resealing the lot every three to five years. Also called sealcoating, resealing covers pavement with a fresh, thin layer of asphalt that seals up cracks before they become a larger problem. 

If your parking lot is already badly damaged, you may want to resurface or overlay the lot instead of simply resealing it. This method removes the upper layer of old asphalt before laying down a smooth new surface. 

Prioritize Fire Safety

If your business has a parking garage, you should consider updating its fire security system. Many new car models are using flammable materials, like plastic, for parts. In addition, some newer fuels are fairly flammable. This makes the risk of fire in vehicles higher than it used to be. 

If a fire starts in your garage, you’ll want to be able to put it out before it does significant damage or causes the structure to collapse. Doublecheck your sprinkler system and do everything you can to improve fire safety in your garage. 

Illuminate the Area

Lighting is another safety concern. Many parking lots are poorly lit, which makes customers feel unsafe and can lead to crime. To protect your customers and your store’s reputation, update and improve the lighting in your lot. 

Try to choose lights that illuminate the area clearly without causing a harsh glare. The color of the light you choose can affect how welcoming your business feels to customers and employees. 

Keep Lines Bright

Repainting the lines in your lot keeps the area easy to navigate. It also sends the right signals to customers – fresh lines indicate a prosperous business, care for safety, and attention to detail. There’s nothing more bewildering than trying to park in a lot with faded lines. 

Keep your customers safe and happy by repainting the lines on your lot as often as needed. Try to arrange for repainting overnight or do one section at a time so that customers aren’t inconvenienced. 

Plant Trees

Incorporating green spaces into your parking lot adds beauty and offers customers highly-coveted shade for their vehicles. Plant as many trees as you reasonably can to spread this shade out across the space. 

The best trees for this job can tolerate heat and compacted soil. They don’t need much water, and they don’t have fruit that will smash on the pavement. Good trees for commercial parking lots include elms, crape myrtles, linden, and flowering pear trees. 

Upgrade to Impress

Follow these seven tips to upgrade your parking lot into a place of comfort, safety, and beauty. By staying up-to-date with maintenance, you can prevent more expensive repairs and keep your parking lot in good working order all year round. 

Updating your lot will improve the look and feel of your business and send customers the right impression from the moment they reach your destination.