When Is The Right Time For A Seal Coating Procedure To Be Conducted?

By Ines Flores


After installing your asphalt pavements, you need to inspect them regularly to detect any defects that may be developing. Asphalt is a common material used when constructing pavements. Like many other paving materials, asphalt undergoes degradation with time. In order to preserve its quality, you should coat it with a sealant material. A seal coating procedure is intended to prolong the lifespan of your pavement.

A number of elements both natural and manmade will act on blacktop. These elements include UV light, snow, deicing salts, moisture, and gasoline products. UV light heats your asphalt pavement and makes it to harden and change its color. If you notice a change in color from the deep black to a light gray color, then it means that the blacktop is degrading.

You can recondition it using a sealant material. The sealcoat will make your pavements to be flexible and look like new. Due to effects of UV light, pavements will crack. The first tiny hairline cracks may not be a problem and they can be corrected easily with use of a sealcoat. However, when you leave the blacktop unprotected, the fine cracks will worsen and develop to bigger cracks.

You cannot restore the big cracks using a sealant material. They need to be repaired using procedures such as crack filling or overlays. Water is another element that will damage pavements. As moisture enters your pavements, it will make the sub grade layer to loosen up. The pavements become unstable and with the vehicle weight, they will shift and form defects like depression or cracks.

Water that has settled in cracks within the sub grade layer will freeze during the winter and melt thereafter. During the freeze thaw cycle, your pavements will be left with big potholes as the voids are filled with the blacktop material. When the frozen water melts, it leaves empty cracks, which cause the material on top to come down crumbing and fill the spaces.

Gasoline products including engine transmission fluids and oils also degrade the backstop. Using a sealcoat provides a cover or layer, which shields these substances from coming in direct contact with blacktop. Sealcoats are applied on pavements that are in good form. If there are defects like big cracks, they need to be corrected before you can use the sealcoats.

Sealcoats should only be applied when asphalt has dried and cured properly. In the first driveway or parking lot installation, it will take time for the asphalt to cure. You may have to wait for about one year before you apply a sealant. After the first sealcoating, you will also need to apply other coats with time.

It is required that after very three to five years a new layer of sealant material is applied. Nonetheless, it may be determined by other factors including the use of pavement, effects caused by UV light, water, and snow. At times, you may have to reapply the sealant within a shorter period than expected. One thing you need to ensure is that you consult with a contractor who uses quality sealcoating materials.




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