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Posts Tagged ‘Sealing’

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!

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Sources:

Asphalt Crack Sealing AsphaltSealCoatingPro.com

White Stains on Freshly Sealed Asphalt

Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

Have you noticed white or rust colored stains on your newly sealed parking lot or driveway? Before you go chastising your pavement professional, you should get the facts.

This article from AsphaltAdvisor.com can help. It outlines some of the main, natural culprits behind these sealcoat stains.

It is common to see white and rust colored stains on freshly sealed asphalt. This is not some defect in the sealer or caused by an error during sealing, but actually comes from a natural compound found in water, gravel and dirt.

  1. Mineral Salts can dry on the surface as a result of water run-off. They can also be pumped up through soil and gravel to the asphalt surface. White residue will often show up where there are cracks.
  2. Calcium Carbonate is also common in soil and gravel and can leave a white residue.
  3. Rusty red orange and brown are other common colors of residue left from rusty cars and plant byproducts.

Stains can happen at anytime, but are simply more noticeable on freshly sealed asphalt, due to the contrast. Don’t fret; these stains will naturally wash away with time.

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

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Crack Sealing versus Crack Filling

Thursday, July 28th, 2011

Your pavement will eventually fail. It doesn’t matter how well you maintain your paved surface, it will eventually deteriorate and crack. However, how you deal with those cracks will determine how long your pavement will last. Sealing and/or filling cracks in existing pavement is the single the most effective procedure that can be performed to extend pavement’s lifecycle. This will prevent water and other foreign materials – sand, dirt, et.c – from seeping down into the asphalt where it can cause major distress and failures by weakening the base and sub-base.

This article from PaveManPro.com explains how filling or sealing pavement cracks is the most cost effective way to extend the life of your asphalt pavement.

Crack filling and crack sealing, while similar in nature, offer very different benefits.

Crack filling is less costly and will require less initial investment, but this solution may only be a temporary fix. Once the crack begins to move or expand, the crack filling material will lose its effectiveness and the crack will need to be re-filled. For this reason, crack filling is more effective in milder climates with less temperature change.

Crack filling materials include liquid asphalt, asphalt emulsions and cutbacks.

Crack sealing is a more costly option, but provides a longer life expectancy than crack filling – lasting 8 years or more. Crack sealing – which utilizes a flexible, specially prepared hot pour rubberized sealant – is considered a permanent treatment and is the only effective treatment for active cracks that contract and expand between seasons.

Crack sealing materials include asphalt rubber, rubberized asphalt, low-modulus rubberized asphalt and self-leveling silicone.

So explain your situation and budget to your pavement specialist and come up with a solution that meets your needs and your budget. If you have any questions, contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy by calling 410-636-8777 or click here

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