Porous Asphalt Paving – Costs and Environmental Benefits

When it comes to your business, there is really no aspect that’s too small to overlook if you want to maximize value and save money. If you own the property your business is located on, you only need to look to your parking lot for a potentially high return on investment.

As you look out on your lot, ask yourself if it was paved with porous asphalt. If it wasn’t, you could be missing out on an opportunity to get the most value out of it.

Essentially, this story comes down to your business capitalizing on valuable tax credits given for environmentally-responsible activities. As a businessperson, you are probably well-aware of the fact that the government promotes “green” initiatives with tax breaks. Knowing how to take advantage of the tax credits might be another matter, so let’s look at how your parking lot comes into play.

Porous asphalt paving has been cited as a way to achieve “green” infrastructure. This is because it contains less of the finely-crushed filter used in other types of asphalt. Since there is less of the fine filter, there are more narrow pathways within the pavement to allow for rainfall and snowmelt to drain through and down into the stone bed found below. As the water travels down, it is naturally filtered. When the water reaches the soil, it is purified in a way nature intended. With the stone bed in place, the water level under the ground doesn’t rise back up into the asphalt.

Now, this is certainly good for the environment, but it’s also a “win” for your business when you are able to claim the tax credits that would otherwise go to storm water impact fees.

Safety Benefits

In addition to financial and environmental benefits, there are also safety ones as well. A surface that drains quickly and properly puts you less at risk for having a slick parking lot. Naturally, you want to keep your risk of having a customer slip and sue for negligence as low as possible, and porous asphalt may be able to help with that.

Given that “porous” isn’t necessarily a good thing in other areas—you certainly don’t want a porous tent or umbrella!—it makes sense if you’re wondering about durability. This actually raises another financial benefit from choosing this kind of asphalt – a porous asphalt paving job can last up to twenty years before you start to see any cracks or potholes. This cuts down on your asphalt repair and maintenance costs, which saves your business even more money.

Of course, a nice-looking parking lot also reflects quite well upon you and your business. You want customers to pull into a lot that’s in great shape, not driving past one that’s full of cracks and potholes!

No matter your choice in asphalt services and products, make Stripe A Lot your one-stop shop for all your paving needs. Our experienced team is trusted by more West Michigan businesses and homeowners for a reason – we provide high-quality paving jobs so your property looks its absolute best.

Call us at 1-800-BLACKTOP (or 616-772-2559) for more information or a completely free estimate today!