When you are planning out the design of a commercial facility, it is pretty unlikely the parking lot will be the thing you are fretting the most over. After all, a parking lot is a very utilitarian feature and, whether you are making one with asphalt or concrete paving, the main goal is for it to work; how it actually looks is usually a pretty low priority. However, the parking lot constitutes the first impression visitors will make when they arrive in vehicles. Accordingly, there is a lot to be said for making a parking lot attractive.

Parking Lot Pros, a parking lot paving company out of Dallas, Texas, say that a bumpy, cracked, or overgrown parking lot is certainly not a good look for any kind of facility. Furthermore, an attractive parking lot doesn’t just look good in itself, but it also frames the impression made of the facility itself. A parking lot is a wide, open space, normally with a view towards the premises it is serving.

Concrete or Asphalt?

Whether you go with concrete or asphalt paving for your parking lot, it will have a massive influence on how you maintain it and how you make it look attractive. Concrete and asphalt both have relative advantages and disadvantages insofaras both aesthetics and functionality are concerned. An asphalt parking lot looks somewhat more professional, and with high-quality asphalt you can be sure it will resist the encroachment of weeds, cracks, and weather damage for a little longer than concrete. Nevertheless, concrete is sometimes preferable wheretemperaturescan get very warm, and its aesthetic profile can be a little better integrated into a natural setting.

Advice for Creating an Attractive and Efficient Park Lot

Regardless of what type of parking lot you ultimately go for though, you can be sure that the following tips and advice for creating an attractive and efficient parking lot will certainly apply. While it should be noted that much will depend on what your premises look like and what the surrounding area is like, the following tips are a safe bet for making a parking lot that will create a great first impression for all visitors to your premises.

Signs and Marking

The signs you erect around your parking lot and the markings you make on the ground itself serve a very utilitarian function. You need them to ensure the parking lot is used properly, that there is space for disabled parking, and that drivers know where to enter, park, and exit. That said, this is does not mean you cannot have certain aesthetic concerns in mind. Try to limit the signs and make them as tasteful and professional looking as possible.

Landscaping

Landscaping is an excellent wayto improve the curb appeal of your facility. Landscaping does not just mean creating attractive vegetations around the perimeter of your parking lot;it is also advised to create little islands of plant life within it as well.

Repairs and Maintenance

Repairs and maintenance refer to all the ongoing work you need to do to ensure that your parking lot remains attractive. Precisely what you need to do will depend a lot upon whether you decided on concrete or asphalt paving and how often you attend to it. To keep the march of overgrowth, weeds, and cracks at bay, the best advice is simply to give the parking lot an overhaul every year or so.

Parking lots will never be the most attractive or exciting part of a facility, but their importance should not be underestimated.