An asphalt pavement can have a long, beautiful life, but it will require a little assistance from time to time. The best way to reduce or eliminate the need for costly repairs while simultaneously enhancing the safety and aesthetics of your pavement is to have a professional sealcoat it periodically. In many cases, asphalt sealcoating can more than double the life of your pavement for an extremely economical price. However, sealcoating is highly sensitive to weather conditions, especially the ground and air temperatures. You may have heard that a sealcoat should not be applied unless both temperatures are at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit, but you might not know that extreme heat can also present challenges that your contractor must address.
How Often Should I Sealcoat My Pavement?
Asphalt contractors recommend an initial application before an asphalt overlay or a new pavement reaches its first anniversary. Thereafter, you should plan on having your parking lot maintenance & repair contractor apply a fresh coat about every two years. However, there are numerous factors that can influence the frequency of your schedule, so you will need to ask your asphalt maintenance contractor to recommend the right schedule for your pavement.
Why Is Asphalt Sealcoating Problematic in Extreme Heat?
A sealcoating mix is typically about 70% water, and the water must be evaporated for the sealant to dry and cure. As the sealcoat cures, it forms a bond with the asphalt paving. Unless this bond is established, the life of the sealant will be drastically reduced. To ensure that the sealcoat has time for the bond to form, manufacturers formulate their products so that they will cure from top to bottom at a specific rate. If the asphalt overlay or pavement is excessively hot, the sealcoat can dry virtually the instant it encounters the asphalt paving. This flips the curing process on its head, preventing the formation of a strong bond. However, experienced sealcoating contractors know how to counteract the effects of extreme heat when they sealcoat parking lot or other pavements.
How Can the Effects of Extreme Heat on Asphalt Sealcoating Be Addressed?
One thing that you can do is to schedule the work during the spring or autumn to avoid the hottest months of the year. If that is not possible, your asphalt maintenance contractor will likely take one or more of the following steps.
1. Sealcoating contractors often schedule jobs to start almost as soon as the sun rises to minimize the amount of heat that the pavement can absorb.
2. A thin layer of sealcoat can be applied to function as a primer.
3. Humidity levels and winds affect the rate at which evaporation will occur. Windless days featuring high humidity levels can sometimes help counteract excessive heat.
4. Misting the pavement with water just prior to starting the application can temporarily lower the temperature of the pavement.
5. Including certain additives in the sealcoat mix can result in a slower rate of evaporation.
South Florida property owners and managers have trusted 3-D Paving for exceptional results since 2012. Our services include asphalt milling, sealcoating, asphalt paving, asphalt repair, asphalt overlay, parking lot striping, thermoplastic markings, parking lot signage, reflective pavement markers, pavement markings, drainage repairs, speed bumps, paver bricks, bollards, and ADA compliance. We also offer concrete work, including the construction of concrete parking lots, ramps, sidewalks, slabs, gutters, and concrete curbing, and we offer concrete repairs and concrete grinding. We have built an exemplary reputation for honesty, craftsmanship, service, and professionalism. For a free quote, fill out the online request form, call 855-735-7623, or email Info@3-DPaving.com.
