WHAT IS SEALCOATING?

Sealcoating is just what the name implies: a coating used to seal your asphalt driveway or parking lot. Modern day asphalt is a great product and can last as many as 20 to 30 years with proper care. It is a wonderfully flexible, aggregate material and for the cost, works better than any other product for driveways and road surfaces.

However, while largely waterproof, it is still remains slightly porous and will deteriorate over time. Water, chemicals and oils will eventually seep into the substrate and weaken the healthy bond of the original asphalt, causing it to crack. Small oil leaks from a vehicle, cleaning products used to wash or polish a car, and even the rubber of your tires will cause the asphalt to deteriorate over time. In addition, asphalt oxidizes from sun exposure and will become brittle if not protected.

 These small cracks may not seem significant, but they open the window to further disintegration of the asphalt. These tiny cracks allow the same damaging materials that caused them to travel deeper into the substrate of the asphalt causing larger fissures to develop. The small cracks become large cracks and the large cracks become holes.  Sealcoating is the perfect preventative measure to take.

Sealcoating is a mixture of emulsified asphalt, water, mineral fillers and various other products applied directly to the asphalt surface. It creates a thin coating that seals and protects the asphalt from the deleterious effects of water, chemicals, oils and sun.  In addition it gives your driveway or parking lot an attractive, smooth, black finish that makes the area more visually appealing and easier to clean. For commercial properties, sealcoating provides the perfect surface for parking lot striping.

Proper, timely maintenance of your asphalt driveway or parking area may require an immediate expense, but in the long run, it will save you money. When cracks are allowed to develop, the cost of repairing them will be added to the cost of the sealcoating. If the area is neglected too long, new asphalt will be required and is a much larger expense. Careful, timely sealcoating is the most cost effective means of maintaining an attractive, solid driveway.