Sealcoating is a great way to protect and extend the life of your asphalt driveway or parking lot. It also helps your property look more excellent.

Before you begin the process, remove all the clutter from the surface. This includes items like garbage cans and cars. Make sure to reschedule deliveries. Visit https://www.rochesternysealcoating.com/ to learn more.

Asphalt pavement can deteriorate quickly without regular maintenance and sealcoating. The sun’s UV rays can cause oxidation, weakening the binder and eventually destroying the entire surface. When this happens, water seeps into the cracks and damages the foundation underneath. This is when potholes form, and the damage is costly to repair.

Sealcoating is a low-cost preventative measure that extends the life of your asphalt. It also enhances the appearance of your driveway or parking lot. A well-maintained asphalt surface looks spotless and clean, adding to the value of your property. If you wait too long to reseal, you may have to invest more money in repairs and replacements.

Properly applied sealcoat can fill small cracks in your asphalt, preventing water from entering and further damaging the structure. It also protects against the harsh weather conditions that can cause your asphalt to deteriorate. The asphalt binder in the sealcoat is made from refined coal tar and provides toughness, tensile strength and dimensional stability to the mix. It also adds a deep black appearance and resists the effects of weather, sunlight, salts, oil, gasoline, fats and other petrochemicals.

The cover aggregate in most seal coats also helps to create a more even texture, making it harder for tires to slip on the asphalt surface. This makes your driveway or parking lot safer for everyone. Sealcoating is usually performed in the summer to avoid the cold and the humidity, which can make the sealer shatter or not bond to the asphalt properly.

The best time to reseal is when you notice that the blacktop has lost its shine and smoothness, or when you have weeds sprouting up in the cracks. These are signs that it’s time to get your sealcoat on!

Prevents Oil and Fuel Spills

A well-sealed asphalt parking lot is much more resistant to oil and fuel spills. Oil, gasoline and other vehicle fluids are easily absorbed by un-sealed asphalt and can cause severe damage to the surface. When a driveway or parking lot is properly sealed, the coal tar used in the sealcoat provides a barrier that prevents these liquids from penetrating the asphalt and causing damage.

Regular sealcoating also makes it easier to clean up any gasoline or oil spills on the pavement. Oil and gas stains are much more difficult to remove from un-sealed asphalt, especially when they dry. By sealing and maintaining a parking lot with sealcoat, stains can be removed as soon as they happen, making for an easier cleanup and preventing more extensive damage to the asphalt.

Asphalt that isn’t sealcoated is highly susceptible to the deteriorating effects of ulraviolet rays. The rays break down the carbon bonds that hold the asphalt together, causing it to crack and crumble. A regular application of sealcoat, however, shields the asphalt from the uv rays, keeping it strong and durable.

To get the most out of your sealcoating job, it is important to have a manual agitation unit to keep the sludge in the tank from settling and blocking the suction port. It is also a good idea to plan ahead and have enough sealer to complete the job before you run out. To make sure you have enough, calculate the square footage of your driveway or parking lot by multiplying length times width. Then enter the number into our sealcoat calculator to determine how much you will need. The more you apply, the more durable and long-lasting your sealcoat will be.

Prevents Cracking

A professionally-applied sealcoating can significantly extend the lifespan of asphalt surfaces. It can also prevent the formation of major cracks and other damages in the future, saving money and minimizing the need for costly repairs.

However, sealcoating should not be considered a replacement for asphalt paving or major repair projects. While it does extend the life of existing pavement, it is not an effective solution for worn or deteriorated asphalt, nor does it fill low areas or level out bumps.

Sealcoating is a preventive maintenance procedure, meaning it should be conducted on a routine basis to protect the asphalt from damaging elements, including UV rays and water. It can be applied to a freshly paved surface, though it is preferable to wait until the underlying material has had a chance to set before applying the sealant.

In order to successfully apply a sealcoat, the surface must be free from any dirt, debris, or oily materials that could hinder its adhesion. This is usually done by power washing or using industrial sweepers. A thorough cleaning is important to ensure that the asphalt can absorb and hold the sealant, resulting in a long-lasting, protective coating.

The actual application of the sealant is done with specialized equipment, such as sprayers or squeegees. A sealcoat can be applied as a single, thin layer to the entire surface of a driveway or parking lot, or it can be used in a patching or spot treatment manner to address specific problem areas. It is typically best to perform sealcoating in the spring or fall, when temperatures are warm enough to allow the sealant to cure quickly and properly. The sealant itself is made with a blend of ingredients, with the binder being either refined coal tar or petroleum-based polymer. Some additives may be included in the mix to speed up drying time, alter sand suspension, increase water repellency, or provide resistance to salts and other chemicals.

Prevents Stains

If you want your asphalt driveway, parking lot or other paved surface to have good curb appeal, then it needs to be free of oil and chemical stains. Sealcoating helps to keep these chemicals from seeping through the pavement and damaging it. It also helps to prevent oxidation that causes the pavement to lose its rich black appearance.

Asphalt gets stained by gasoline, motor oil, and a number of other products that are derived from petroleum. These products bond with each other, and are difficult to break down. When petroleum distillates recombine, they form damaging oil stains that are very unsightly. Sealcoating repels these stains and makes them easier to wipe away with a rag.

Sealcoating also prevents water from penetrating tiny pit marks in the asphalt. Water damage can cause the cracks to grow and eventually lead to potholes. Sealcoating fills these small pit marks, reducing the amount of water that gets under the asphalt and creating a much less likely environment for potholes to develop.

The sand used in sealcoating is screened for particle size. Percent retained and percent passing indicate how coarse or fine the sand is. The proper sand will give the sealcoating the right traction and create a textured, glare-free appearance.

If you are thinking about getting your driveway or parking lot sealcoated, it is important that people stay off of the paved surface until the sealcoat has had an opportunity to dry and bond with the asphalt. If you allow people to walk and drive on the newly sealcoated surface, it will disrupt the bond and cause the sealant to flake off. This can ruin all of your hard work and make the entire surface uneven.

Prevents Damage

Compared to other pavement maintenance options, such as cracksealing and remove-and-replace repairs, sealcoating is an affordable and least disruptive way to extend the life of your asphalt. In addition, it provides a protective shell that can help prevent further damage.

Asphalt is a petroleum product, which means that when auto fluids such as oil and gasoline seep into the surface it can soften the asphalt. This can lead to cracking and eventual breakage. Seal coating helps to keep automobile fluids from penetrating the asphalt, which can prolong its life and improve its look.

Water can also cause problems for asphalt, especially when it seeps into small cracks and then freezes. When water freezes it expands, which can further damage the asphalt. Sealcoating helps to prevent this problem by filling in the small cracks and sealing them from water penetration.

Another important thing to note is that the right conditions are necessary for a sealcoating job to be successful. For instance, the temperature needs to be above 50 degrees and there should be no rain in the forecast for at least 24 hours before and after the application process. This is why it’s essential to work with a professional. They will have all of the tools and know how to ensure that the process goes smoothly.

Finally, sealcoating offers a beautiful appearance that helps to improve the curb appeal of your home or business. It’s a great way to make a positive first impression for your visitors and customers. If you want to maintain the value and beauty of your property, then sealcoating is a must. It’s much less expensive than repairing or replacing your parking lot or driveway, so it’s well worth the investment.