Sealcoating

Sealcoating is the secret weapon you’ve been looking for if you want the cost-saving and convenience of asphalt paving without the problem of cracked pavement and ugly repairs over time.

The Airtight Construction team recommends that clients create a protective barrier by applying a seal coat to create a beautiful finish and extend the life of your paving. Here’s all you need to know about asphalt seal coats.

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What is Sealcoating?

A seal coat is a thin layer of liquid applied to the asphalt paving surface. It protects the surface from UV rays and other harmful elements.

Regular sealcoating is crucial for a properly maintained asphalt surface. It protects the pavement from vehicle damage, chemicals, and oil and gas leaks, reducing the need for asphalt repairs.

The sealcoating mix contains asphalt in micro-fine form. Mineral fillers, polymer additives, silica sand, and water help the sealcoating to stick to the pavement surface.

The sealant is chemically similar to asphalt paving, so it bonds perfectly, breathing new life into older asphalt pavement.

Sealcoating is a protective treatment, not a reactive solution. Your asphalt pavement needs sealant before the issues start. Correctly applied, sealcoating significantly extends asphalt surface life, saving costs over the long run.

Why Do We Use Sealcoating on an Asphalt Pavement?

Asphalt paving is perfect for parking lots and driveways, especially in commercial applications with high vehicle traffic. Here, large, practical parking lots must be cost-effective and attractive.

Asphalt consists of 95% aggregate- small, visible stone particles. The aggregate is bonded with a bitumen and coal tar blend. This oil-based material adds grip and flexibility to the mix. As climatic conditions evaporate or degrade the oils, the binder reduces in volume. It becomes less flexible and easier to damage, allowing small stones to loosen from the shrinking top asphalt layer.

Asphalt sealing reduces this exposure, reintroducing the oils. The sealant prevents raveling or water penetration. With proper sealcoating, you can extend the life of your asphalt paving by up to 30 years, so it is well worth the investment.

How Often is Sealcoating Applied to an Asphalt Surface?

Asphalt maintenance is an ongoing process, especially in parking lots. Minor damage can quickly become a big issue with costs mounting.

How often you should reapply sealant depends on the climate, damaging elements, and traffic factors. In milder climates, as experienced in San Francisco, you need less frequent sealing than would be the case in areas with harsher conditions.

Most paving experts recommend that you seal coat asphalt every three years. If your driveway or parking lot looks gray and dull, if you’ve recently done crack filling, or if you’ve noticed small cracks, it’s time to recoat your asphalt surfaces.

Once applied, asphalt sealer needs around 48 hours to dry properly before returning to normal use.

Sealcoating Applied to an Asphalt Surface

Benefits of Sealcoating Asphalt Paving

Regular sealcoating reduces UV and environmental damage and protects against traffic effects. These are the benefits that you can expect from asphalt sealcoating.

1) Top Coating

Sealant ‘fills in’ surface damage and inconsistencies, providing a protective layer. It also encourages faster water runoff from rain and melting snow.

2) Money-Saving

Sealcoating is relatively low-cost. It helps to postpone asphalt maintenance and extends the life of your asphalt. It also reduces long-term repair costs.

3) Reduce Asphalt Surface Fading

Pavement sealing enhances the look of any asphalt pavement, restoring its original luster. It also offers extended protection. The main reason for this is the reduction in damage caused by UV rays. Faded asphalt looks bad and signals sun damage that could lead to cracks.

4) Ease of Application

The sealcoating process needs just a few downtime hours while it’s applied and dries. Application methods vary, but two coats are usually sprayed onto the surface or applied with a squeegee.

Look for good weather to prevent project delays. Schedule the sealer application for a day where you expect temperatures of at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit for most of the day.

Fill cracks and potholes and remove oil leaks. Hose down the surface to remove dirt and debris and allow time for the pavement to dry. Your asphalt pavement is now ready for the sealer application.

5) Reduces Water Damage

One of the few disadvantages of asphalt is it is susceptible to water damage. This is because it doesn’t have the smooth and cohesive outer finish of surfaces like concrete.

Sealcoating provides this smooth surface, easing water runoff to protect it against damage. This protection also applies to fuel and oil leaks.

6) Retains Flexibility

Environmentally friendly asphalt is more flexible than other surface materials. An asphalt driveway or parking lot will flex and recover when heavy vehicles cross the surface. This flexibility prevents frictional wear seen on more rigid paving.

Faded and hardened asphalt loses that flexibility, causing the asphalt installation to crack and flake. Sealcoating helps bond the top layer to reduce damage.

Do I Need to Repave or Can I Use Sealcoating?

There is no easy answer to this question. If the surface has seen a lot of wear and tear or mazed cracks that look a little like crocodile skin (alligator cracks) have appeared, you will probably have to repave your asphalt. Why? Unlike minor cracks, mazed cracks loosen with traction from vehicle tires.

If, on the other hand, you have very little cracking, repair the cracks and seal the surface to freshen and extend the life.

How Much Does Sealcoating Cost?

It’s difficult to say exactly how much any sealcoating job will cost without a contractor’s site evaluation. The amount of pavement, local labor costs, number of coats required, and other maintenance issues all affect a quote.

However, sealcoating cost averages are $0.15 per square foot, compared to costs of $2.25 or more per square foot for new pavement, so you inevitably save money with sealcoating.

Should I Hire a Sealcoating Contractor?

While it may be simple enough to maintain your own sealcoating or driveway sealer on a residential driveway, it’s usually better to call a contractor.

A DIY installation will take longer, add extra labor costs, and the quality may suffer. You don’t want to overdo asphalt sealcoating, or it can become slick, creating liability issues. Overcoating may result in a ‘gummy’ look, or it may crack like a porcelain glaze. Pavement preparation is also an essential factor in any sealcoating project.

A skilled sealcoating contractor will clean the site, seal the driveways and parking lot, and get out quickly. The site is out of commission only for the time it takes for the sealant to fully dry and cure. Contractors also have the experience to offer holistic solutions for troubled areas, using the correct product in appropriate quantities for the best possible results.

Protect your asphalt and improve your property’s curb appeal by sealcoating your asphalt paving. The Airtight Construction team has decades of experience in new asphalt construction and repairs and maintenance on existing installations. Call us for an asphalt seal coat free cost estimate anywhere in the San Franciso Bay Area.