Professional Sealcoating Makes the Difference

Sealcoating your Asphalt Driveway

I have often been asked if sealcoating your asphalt driveway is necessary or if it is just a cosmetic product.

What happens to asphalt surfaces?

The answer is that sealcoating absolutely affects the effective service life, aesthetics, and stability of the bituminous cement that it is composed of. The frequency and timing of application of a high-quality sealcoat application is the question that needs to be answered. Variables that affect this timing include:

1. Weather conditions such as sun, water, snow, ice, wind.
2. Man-made chemicals such as gasoline, oil, antifreeze, and salt.

The amount of exposure to these forces has a direct impact on the life of the driveway or parking lot.

Asphalt surfaces that are properly constructed have an average effective life of 20 to 25 years. However, the introduction of these destructive forces will reduce that life from half to as little as 5 years by nature of breaking down the cohesive resins that bind the stone composite together.

Why Sealcoating Your Asphalt Driveway Works:

• Seal coating acts as a weather barrier which resists oxidation and water penetration. It blocks out natural elements, such as sun, wind, rain, snow, and ice, which will gradually break down the composition of bitumen resins, maintaining the structure of the asphalt surface.
• Seal coating resists harmful man-made element spills such as fuel, antifreeze, oil, and salt. These chemicals will begin to break down the binder within weeks and cannot be adequately halted once they have penetrated the surface without being removed completely.
• Seal coating fills small voids in asphalt, reducing exposure to oxygen and water, which can break down the binder in the asphalt and degrade the base support of the surface material, leading to major failure of the structure.
• Seal coating extends the life of your asphalt, saving you money in the long run. Seal coating will beautify and enhance your driveway or parking lot, giving a dark black color to the pavement, making it look and wear like new. A dark black parking lot offers a positive image of how clean a company or residential home is.

Who is Best Qualified to Perform a High-Quality Sealcoating Application?

The process of sealcoating is affected by 3 important variables:

1. Product
   Choose the highest-rated commercial product available to get the longest life and most pleasing finish possible. This is typically found through a commercial distributor of bulk material that has not been diluted or altered from processed form and has been produced within the designed effective service life of the product.
2. Process
   Hand-applied sealer leads to the deepest penetration into the surface of the asphalt. This will yield the longest product adhesion, which is the necessary ingredient for a high-quality barrier that resists the invasive elements that can reduce the life of the asphalt surface.
3. People
   The final variable is the ability of the applicator to apply the sealer according to design specifications. Choose a person or company with a high degree of skill and a quality reputation to give you the result you deserve. Always insist on a properly bonded and insured company to protect your property in case of unforeseen incidents.

I hope this has been informative and helpful. The investment in your property deserves the best result, so do your best to achieve that.

If you are in need of further help, please feel free to contact us at: Glenn.imagepros@gmail.com