How to Improve Your Store’s Curb Appeal

Are you redesigning your storefront? Make sure your retail shop’s exterior creates a great impression to attract more customers. Here are some tips on improving your store’s curb appeal:

Maintain an inviting building façade and entryway.

A dark, beat-up, or seemingly abandoned boutique may send potential customers scurrying away. Applying a fresh coat of paint on the building façade can do wonders. Replace or refurbish old and worn doors and windows. Be sure to install ample lighting fixtures.

Put up a visible, eye-catching signage.

Your signage represents your brand, so it should grab people’s attention for all the right reasons. Make sure the sign is readable even at a distance and is well lighted at night. Use logos or photo representations of what you sell if your name doesn’t make it obvious.

Arrange attractive window displays.

The products or samples displayed at your storefront should show the highlights or the overall theme of your inventory. Select your best offerings for the season. Aside from standard products, you can also put up posters of your promos and special offers.

Have a well-maintained parking lot.

A lot of customers get discouraged at the sight of a poorly kept parking lot. You might want to hire a paving company that can perform the necessary upkeep and ensure a safe and even parking surface. The line striping can also be updated to make the parking area appear more organized.

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Preparing an Office Building’s Exterior for Sale

When an office building is going to be put up for sale, improving the exterior and overall curb appeal is important. Such commercial properties need to be staged and, in some cases, even renovated before having it listed and opened for potential buyers. Aesthetic appeal can certainly increase the property’s monetary value, lessen the work the buyer needs to do, and close the deal faster.

Here are the important areas to consider when improving the office building’s curb appeal, from top to bottom:

• Roof

Commercial properties with a roof in good condition are generally preferable for better insurance rates and minimal upkeep requirements. Consider replacing the roof altogether for major damages, or promptly fix minor repairs like broken shingles, tiles, or flashings.

• Building Exterior

The appearance of the building’s exterior walls, door, and windows are all vital to improving its overall façade. Have the walls power washed and repainted as necessary. Repair or replace the door and windows with sleek fixtures.

• Landscaping

Lively landscapes make the building look calming and refreshing, which would appeal to both workers and clients. Prune the landscaping plants and trees appropriately, and tidy up the lawn and surrounding spaces. Reinforce curbs and barriers to prevent damages to the landscape.

• Parking Spaces and Driveways

Well-maintained parking spaces and driveways provide convenience and security for the business employees and clients. Organize the parking and driving areas with a layout that maximizes space and clear traffic flow markings for safety.

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When is NJ Asphalt Paving Maintenance Necessary?

Asphalt pavement maintenance is a challenge for commercial establishments with parking lots and outdoor driveways. Aside from keeping these surfaces clean, these asphalt pavements need to be routinely checked and reinforced for the convenience and safety of the numerous employees and customers that use them. That said, when is NJ asphalt paving maintenance necessary?

Before knowing when it's appropriate to perform maintenance, you have to understand why asphalt pavements deteriorate. These surfaces are often exposed to chemicals such as oil and gasoline that leak from vehicles. Traffic, heat from the sun, moisture from wet weather conditions, cleaning methods, and other factors also attack the asphalt pavement. These are the agents that weaken the binders in the asphalt and lead to the deterioration of the pavement.

When the wear and tear factors take their toll, the asphalt paving can erode, crack, incur uneven color, and become less smooth. Loose stones, sand, and gravel, essential to asphalt, can also scatter and cause uncomfortable driving and even accidental injuries to passersby. Rougher roads are also known to decrease fuel efficiency and tarnish the mechanical parts and tires of vehicles faster.

The most cost-effective way to preserve the quality and extend the life of asphalt pavements is by preventive maintenance. Sealcoating should be applied every two to three years or more often, as dictated by the volume of traffic and load that the pavement encounters. This avoids costlier repairs and even costlier consequences of pavement deterioration.

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Prolong the Life of Your Parking Space

Having a large parking lot means more customers can stop by your store to buy your products and services. With stricter parking regulations in almost all cities, many motorists are always on the move to find a place where their vehicles can rest unharmed while they are dining or buying goods and supplies. This is why improving the quality of your business’s parking space is a good investment that may yield a quick return on investment.

However, space is not enough to make sure that your parking lot will remain an efficient source of income for many years. Sooner or later, it will have potholes and cracks that need to be fixed in order to make the lot safe for vehicles again. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent horrendous changes in your pavement and secure your bottom line.

The best parking lots have asphalt overlays. While asphalt performs well in harsh weather conditions, it isn’t as tough as concrete when resisting friction. Asphalt needs a shield or coating to, at least, prevent the weight of tires and debris from directly pressing it. Trusted pavement companies use special sealcoating products to laminate asphalt parking spaces.

Although the sealant provides a tough shield against debris and pressure, it’s susceptible to moisture and water like everything else. If soaked with water for a long time, the shield will dissolve until the asphalt is exposed. The parking space needs a well-designed drainage system to keep water exposure to a minimum all the time. 

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