When you are a business or commercial owner, an important part of your property is a parking lot. Whether it is used by the customers that visit your store, or by both customers and employees, it should be spacious enough to carry the whole potential of your company, but at the same time, present itself in a nice way that entices people to use it and not just go with any parking lot around.
But that can be harder than you think without knowing anything about parking lots. And of course, without knowing anything about contractors and how to pick them. There are multiple options when it comes to paving, and there are contractors who specialize in concrete parking lots as well as asphalt parking lots, so you need to hire the right contractor.
It might be difficult at first, but there are some guides, like this one https://www.wikihow.com/Hire-a-Contractor, that can help you with it.
But for those who are newcomers to how paving works, choosing the right contractor as well as the right material might be a little difficult, so in this article, I’m going to teach you the basics of both types of paving, as well as how to engage in the hiring process the right way.
Asphalt vs Concrete
First of all, you will have to decide whether you want to go for asphalt or the more notorious, but expensive concrete. They both offer benefits and, of course, disadvantages, but it all depends on your own circumstances, as well as how much you are willing to spend on it.
Aesthetically speaking, asphalt tends to be dull in comparison to concrete. Asphalt is regularly applied as a flat, smooth surface that provides a healthy floor for cars to move around. It looks simple but works perfectly. Its installation process as well, it’s one of its good points.
Of course, you can do some more complicated work to increase its appeal, but you should consider concrete if you want a more complex-looking parking lot.
Concrete, on the other hand, can be applied in many different ways, and the patterns used to create the parking lot can be chosen by you to suit your tastes. Although it is harder to install in comparison to asphalt because of this and other reasons, and of course, more expensive, its durability is much more present.
You can check much more detailed information about it over here, in case you are interested.
Still, it’s not normal that a business owner sees that far ahead in the future, which is not wrong per se, since being able to determine whether a long-term investment will pay off can be difficult, thus, that’s why most people prefer asphalt.
Asphalt can last from 10 to 20 years depending on how much traffic it stands over the years and the maintenance it receives, whereas concrete can stand twice the time, and go up for 40 years without requiring maintenance.
Hiring the Right Contractor
It might be a little difficult at first. It takes time and patience to find the right contractor and taking your time is absolutely vital if you want to find exactly what you are looking for.
When it comes to commercial asphalt paving in Baltimore, you should try to look up companies and note the information, then create a list out of the options that spark up your interest.
This list of potential options will increase your options, which you will narrow down based on their prices, plans, services, and, of course, reputation.
Ideally, you should check out reviews online regarding the options you have picked to narrow down the list until you find one company that suits your needs and it’s actually known for doing a good job.
A wise move would have 2 to 3 definitive choices, then call them out, and try to arrange a meeting to ask questions based on the type of work you want to have done, the pricing, the expected time to finish the project, how the contract works, how the payment is done, and its insurance policies. If all these things fit what you are looking for, then go ahead and choose the best option among the list.
