There are several benefits to sealcoating, which we will address later. It does much more than just make your asphalt look like new.
When the liquid asphalt holding the aggregate together oxidizes, your asphalt becomes brittle and prone to cracking. Sealer helps to protect your parking lot or other asphalt surface from the harsh effects of nature.
So how often should you seal your asphalt? The general rule is every two years, but there are exceptions. For example, when an asphalt surface is new, it should be sealed the first two years (the first application doesn’t cover as well as the coats that follow). But be careful not to overdo it. When a surface is sealed too much, the sealer will build up and can begin to crack.
Your asphalt should look and feel like asphalt. If it starts to resemble a black skating rink, you’ve sealed to much.
The Benefits of Sealcoating Includes…
Beautifies Pavement
Regardless of the material that is chosen, the property manager or owner can expect instant curb appeal. As these photos show, the difference is quite remarkable. A fresh sealcoat will restore a fresh-black color to your lot and fresh paint will make it look new again.
Stops Weather Damage
Unsealed pavement allows water to penetrate in and through it. This leads to base erosion, freeze-thaw damage and ultimately pavement failure. sealcoating provides a protective barrier to stop water penetration.
The Asphalt Institute states: “The accumulation of moisture in pavement is probably the greatest cause of pavement distress.”
Prevents Oxidation
Asphalt pavement is made up of asphalt binder and little rocks called aggregate. As the pavement cures, the sun’s rays harden and dry out the asphalt binder and cause the surface to dry out. This causes the asphalt to become dry, brittle and break apart. This oxidation will cause accelerated raveling and erosion, and, if left untreated can reduce asphalt thickness by as much as half in five years.
If you have any questions, contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy by calling 410-636-8777 or click here today!
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Sources:
How Often Should I Sealcoat My Driveway? AsphaltAdvisor.com
We recently talked about the differences between concrete and asphalt parking lots and why asphalt just makes more sense for the bulk of the job. Asphalt is 35% cheaper to install than concrete and much easier to work with. Concrete is, however, more durable, which is why it is often used in high stress areas, such as entrances and exits, dumpster pads, and frames (curbing).
