Summer Heat and NJ Asphalt: What Every Commercial Property Manager Should Know
If you manage a commercial property in New Jersey, your parking lot is one of the first things customers, tenants, and visitors see. A cracked, faded, or rutted lot sends a signal you probably don't want to send. And during summer, the heat doesn't just make things uncomfortable—it actively accelerates asphalt wear if the surface isn't properly maintained.
Here's what commercial property managers in New Jersey need to know about asphalt in the summer months, and how to protect your investment.
How Summer Heat Affects Asphalt
Asphalt is a flexible pavement made from a combination of aggregate (stone and gravel) and bitumen, an oil-based binder that holds everything together. That flexibility is one of asphalt's great strengths—but it also makes the material susceptible to damage from extreme heat.
During New Jersey summers, surface temperatures can reach 120–150°F on a black asphalt lot. At these temperatures, asphalt softens. Heavy vehicles can cause rutting in parking lots; turning tires can scuff and mar the surface; and standing water trapped in low spots can accelerate oxidation.
The Federal Highway Administration notes that pavement management and preventive maintenance—rather than reactive repairs—is the most cost-effective approach over the life of a facility. (https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/preservation/) For asphalt, summer is actually one of the best times to address problems before they compound.
Common Commercial Asphalt Problems in Summer
Surface Rutting
Rutting occurs when the asphalt deforms under repeated heavy loads, especially when the surface is softened by heat. It's most common near delivery entrances, dumpster pads, and areas with frequent heavy truck traffic. Rutting is a safety hazard and gets worse every season if left untreated.
Cracking and Raveling
Cracks form for many reasons—freeze-thaw damage in winter, heavy loads, UV oxidation, or poor original installation. Summer heat speeds up crack growth as the material expands and contracts. Raveling, where the surface aggregate begins to separate from the binder, often follows.
Potholes
Potholes start as small cracks or failures in the base and grow when water infiltrates and cycles through freeze-thaw. By summer, what was a small pothole in spring can become a larger, deeper hazard. Potholes create liability for property owners and damage vehicles.
Drainage Issues
Improper grading or low spots in a parking lot trap water, which accelerates deterioration. Summer thunderstorms can expose grading problems that weren't obvious during drier months.
What Commercial Property Managers Should Do This Summer
Schedule a Professional Asphalt Inspection
The first step is knowing what you're dealing with. A qualified contractor can assess your parking lot's condition, identify problem areas, and recommend a prioritized maintenance or repair plan. This is far more cost-effective than waiting until you face a complete mill-and-repave.
Pothole and Crack Repair
Addressing cracks and potholes now prevents them from expanding through another freeze-thaw cycle next winter. Tomasso Contracting handles asphalt patching and pothole repairs throughout Union, Middlesex, Monmouth, Somerset, Morris, and Essex counties.
Sealcoating
Sealcoating is one of the most effective ways to extend asphalt life. A quality seal coat protects the surface from UV oxidation, water infiltration, and fuel spills. It restores a fresh black appearance and can add years to the life of your pavement. Summer is an ideal time for sealcoating, as the material requires warm temperatures and dry conditions to cure properly.
Parking Lot Striping
Faded lines and markings are both a safety concern and a professional image issue. If you're resealing, plan to restripe at the same time. Fresh striping improves traffic flow, ensures ADA compliance, and makes your property look well-maintained.
When Repair Isn't Enough: Full Repaving
Some parking lots have deteriorated past the point where patching and sealing make economic sense. If your lot has widespread base failure, major rutting, or extensive cracking across more than 25–30% of the surface, a full mill-and-repave may be the most cost-effective long-term solution.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that parking lots and access routes meet specific surface condition standards. (https://www.ada.gov/) Property managers who ignore significant pavement deterioration risk slip-and-fall or vehicle damage claims.
Tomasso Contracting provides complete commercial lot paving and repaving services, including grading corrections, base repairs, and full asphalt overlay or mill-and-repave as appropriate.
Why Choose a Local NJ Asphalt Contractor?
Working with a contractor who knows New Jersey's climate, soil conditions, and local code requirements matters. Asphalt mix designs for New Jersey's freeze-thaw environment differ from those used in warmer regions, and base preparation must account for local soil conditions.
With over 30 years of experience serving commercial clients throughout Central and Northern New Jersey, Tomasso Contracting understands exactly what local pavement requires. We hold NJ Contractor License #13VH03037000 and serve commercial clients across Union, Middlesex, Monmouth, Somerset, Morris, and Essex counties.
Request a Free Commercial Asphalt Estimate
Don't wait for a small problem to become a costly repair. Contact Tomasso Contracting today to schedule a free commercial asphalt assessment.
Call our Clark, NJ office at 732-381-2002, reach our Morganville material yard at 732-536-1500, or visit tomassocontracting.com/commercial-asphalt-contractor to request an estimate online. Your parking lot is too important to ignore.