Learn about four benefits of getting asphalt paving in the summer.
Summer is around the corner, so if your parking lot needs repairs or you have another paving project on the horizon, now is the time to schedule the work. Summer is the ideal time for doing asphalt paving, so the months typically book up quickly. You may think that asphalt is something that can be installed any time of year, especially if you’ve ever seen crews in the late fall and winter doing emergency patching. For best results, however, asphalt needs to go down in warm conditions.
Material Stability
Asphalt is a mixture of liquid asphalt and stone that softens with heat and hardens as it cools. The hot asphalt mixture should be kept at a minimum of 70 degrees before and while it is being laid down. This helps it maintain its pliable consistency and stability. If it cools too much before workers can lay it down, it may not lay correctly, or the joints may be wrong, and workers may have a shorter time period to work with it.
Sealant Dries Quicker
After an asphalt surface goes down, it should be sealed with a sealant top coat. This is a high-quality, durable latex layer that protects the surface. Hot asphalt more effectively and quickly absorbs the sealant and the materials all bond together better. The warmth also helps the sealant dry faster. This is important because you need to stay off of the surface while the sealant dries, but you want your surface out of commission for as short a period of time as possible. Depending on the brand and type, the amount of time this takes will vary, but warm weather certainly helps it along.
Longer Days
The days are longer in the summer, so there is more time to get jobs done. If there is a large job, like a huge parking lot, the workers can bring more mixture without fear of it cooling too fast and possibly complete the whole project in fewer days. This is a definite benefit to you, since you need your job done quickly so you can get back to using your parking lot or other paved surfaces.
Fewer Disruptions
Weather provides issues with asphalt, especially rain, since it cools the mixture too quickly. In the summer, there is often less chance of inclement weather than there is the rest of the year, and the storms we do get show up in the weather report with more warning. This means that your contractor can plan your job with a greater degree of certainty as far as weather is concerned. The other bonus about summer is that people often go on vacations, so this could be a good time in terms of your paved areas seeing less use.
Maintenance You Can Trust from PTG Enterprises
If you want to protect your pavement and ensure it has a long lifespan, choose PTG Enterprises for your community sidewalks, parking lots and pavement maintenance needs. We offer commercial concrete, asphalt, masonry, paving, consultation, and survey report services throughout Baltimore, Harford, Anne Arundel, Howard, and P.G. Counties. If you are interested in hearing how we can help you, contact us online or give us a call at (410) 636-8777. For more tips and tricks, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Flickr.
Tags: asphalt, Asphalt Paving, PTG Enterprises, summer
