(Newswire.net — July 19, 2020) — As it continues to get warmer outside, you may be thinking more and more about your summertime maintenance duties. Repairing cracks in your driveway or parking lot should be near the top of your list. If you’re not familiar with what sealcoating is, let’s take a minute to define this process.
Sealcoating, also referred to commonly as pavement sealing is when a protective coating is applied to the asphalt. This process fills in unnecessary cracks and provides protection of the concrete from things like oils and sun U.V. rays. It’s highly suggested that your pavement be sealcoated every two years. If you have a parking lot that receives a lot of vehicle traffic, you may need to sealcoat each year. Now, since you know what sealcoating asphalt is, let’s take a look at the many benefits it can provide you.
Enhance The Appearance Of Your Pavement
Over time, things like traffic, oil spills, and the sun’s rays can wreak havoc on the surface of your asphalt. It will start to turn the pavement into a light grey color that is extremely faded. This can make your driveway or parking lot look run down and old. Sealcoating your asphalt can give it a new, pristine look. Instead of being faded, it will look black and freshly done. This can enhance the look of your home, office, or business.
Protects Your Asphalt Against Damage
As time wears out your existing pavement, it can allow for more damage. Small cracks can turn into large divots and potholes that can hinder the drivability of your driveway or parking lot. When you have your pavement sealcoated, it does two things. First, it fills in those cracks and potholes to create a smoother driving experience. Second, it provides a protective layer over the existing pavement that can help to maintain the integrity of your surface going into the future.
Prolongs The Lifespan Of Your Asphalt
If you’ve seen pavement that is at least a few years old and never has been sealcoated, then you know it can accumulate a lot of defects. From cracks to oil spots, there can be tons of awful stains to look at. Sealcoating can get rid of those stains and cracks. During the process, any imperfects are filled in and sealed with the asphalt material. This keeps cracks from expanding. It also allows the new layer to protect the driveway or parking lot from salt, ices, oils, and water damage.
Reduces Your Long-Term Repair Costs
If you let your parking lot or driveway go for multiple years without repaving, you’re asking for major repair costs. Sealcoating helps to catch problems like cracking early on. When sealcoating is not applied regularly, the asphalt will become exposed to environmental factors. This can allow things like salt, ice, and oils to build up on the asphalt. Eventually, these hazards can start to seep into the asphalt and create larger problems. Small cracks suddenly become large cracks that are more costly to fix.
Helps To Accelerate Ice And Snow Melt
When ice or snow get on your driveway, you want to get it gone as fast as possible. This not only assists in making your driveway or parking lot safer to use but it keeps the moisture from penetrating below the asphalt. If you don’t regularly sealcoat, you’ll find that the moisture from ice and snow will seep into the asphalt. This will refreeze and cause expansive gaps. When you sealcoat, the snow and ice melts faster and doesn’t seep below the surface.
When it comes to sealcoating your driveway or parking lot, you may have been wondering if it was worth it or not. The truth is that it’s definitely worth doing so every couple of years to protect your investment and enhance the look of your space. Hopefully, the above information has convinced you of the importance of sealcoating.