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Posts Tagged ‘sealed’

Asphalt Crack Sealing

Thursday, September 29th, 2011

Asphalt cracks do not form over night. They slowly grow, sneaking up on you until that tiny crack becomes a major problem. Asphalt cracks slowly elongate and widen during weather changes such as freezing and thawing or intense periods of heat.

However, if you monitor your parking lot carefully and catch these tiny cracks early enough, you can patch the problem before it gets any worse.

Asphalt crack sealing is the solution. Some fillers require special equipment for heating and applying and some are ready to go out of the box or can for the do-it-yourselfer. But to get that professional look, you should probably use a professional asphalt contractor, like PTG Enterprises.

They will be able to properly apply your sealcoat, ensuring your parking surface remains crack free for as long as possible. They will also be able to answer any questions you may have, such as…

What is Sealcoating?

Sealcoating is a widely used and accepted preventative measure that helps safeguard a parking lot against the harsh effects of gas, oil, salt, weather conditions and oxidation. This coating will significantly reduce the impact of these harsh effects. When applied properly, a sealcoat cures on your parking lot leaving a fresh black finish. There are many ways that sealer may be applied and material mixes may vary as well.

How often should you have your parking lot sealcoated?
One of the most important things you can do to ensure a long life for your parking lot is to fill cracks and seal it every two years.

A newly laid asphalt parking lot should be sealed within the first 12 months. Because of the ever increasing costs of asphalt, many business owners now seal every other year. This has proven to be an excellent approach to avoid expensive repairs and maintain an aesthetically pleasing parking lot. There are many factors to consider when deciding how often to sealcoat.

If you have any other questions, contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy by calling 410-636-8777or click here today!

Check us out on Facebook and Twitter as well!

Sources:

Asphalt Crack Sealing AsphaltSealCoatingPro.com

How Often Should You Sealcoat Your Asphalt?

Thursday, September 15th, 2011

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!

Check us out on Facebook and Twitter as well!

Sources:

How Often Should I Sealcoat My Driveway? AsphaltAdvisor.com