We get a lot of questions about what sealcoating is in the first place. And why is it important?
Sealcoating is a process that helps to protect your asphalt from deteriorating over time. This means it will help prolong the lifespan of your parking lot or driveway, which is very important for any business owner who wants their property to last as long as possible and have more curb appeal!
If you want to protect your investment, it’s important to develop a regular sealcoating schedule so your pavement can look its best year after year. We offer competitive rates and can schedule a time to take a look at the property so that we can generate you a quote in a very timely fashion.
Most of our neighborhoods in Elizabeth, New York have asphalt roads that get paved and refreshed on a regular basis. Everybody loves the look of that deep black, glossy, freshly-paved asphalt. You almost don’t want to drive on it because it’s so pretty! But of course you eventually do, and as the weeks and months go on, the beautiful color fades.
The reason behind this change of color comes down to what asphalt is made of. Asphalt is composed of rock and/or stone and gravel–this mixture is known as “aggregate”–which is all held together by a binder called asphalt cement. This binder is imperative for preserving the lifespan of asphalt material.
However, there are a lot of elements that threaten this binder on a daily basis. We’re talking chemicals and oil from vehicles, water erosion from rain (as little of that as we may get) and the UV rays from the sun. As this degradation process continues, the surface of the asphalt becomes more brittle. And unfortunately, that color that we know and love falls by the wayside, yielding to an ashy, light grey color that we’re all familiar with.
So what can we do to protect the aesthetic and functionality of our asphalt? Well, by sealcoating! It should be applied and reapplied on a regular basis on order to keep your asphalt looking nice for years and years.
Whenever a homeowner with an asphalt driveway or a property manager with an asphalt parking lot wants to preserve the attractive look of their asphalt, they will keep a regular sealcoating schedule. Due to natural wear-and-tear, rain exposure and sun damage, small cracks in the pavement will definitely form. Sealcoating extends the lifespan of your pavement by preventing any damaging elements from seeping through.
How Asphalt Sealcoating Prolongs Asphalt Life Cycle
If you want your asphalt pavement to last for a long time, we’ll need to develop a maintenance program for you after an asphalt installation service. And you guessed it: this maintenance program is going to involve sealcoating.
You can think of sealcoating almost like sunscreen. You can’t just apply sunscreen one time in your life to protect your skin from all of the damaging effects from UV rays. If you’re going to be out in the sun, you’ll need to use it daily to get the best results. Likewise, sealcoating needs to be performed after fresh asphalt is poured, and regularly thereafter from dirt and debris that threaten its integrity. Just doing it once won’t do the trick!
If the sunscreen illustration didn’t do it for you, think about it this way: it’s going to make your asphalt look prettier. Typically, asphalt sealers are a form of acrylic and provide a slip-resistant surface when applied properly, per the manufacturer’s instructions. This surface gives the asphalt that beautiful, deep black finish that we love so much, and brings a renewed vigor back to the look of your asphalt parking lot or asphalt driveway. So if protection isn’t your angle, think of the aesthetic benefits of sealcoating!
Asphalt pavement needs to be maintained, or you risk the asphalt breaking down to the point where it completely fails. Fixing this problem will cost many times more than the regular routine maintenance combined. If asphalt gets to the point where it completely fails, it will need to be removed and redone entirely. But Fire Stone Paving & Masonry is here to save you these kinds of headaches!
Even if you’re not sure about exactly what your asphalt needs, we would still be happy to come out to your property to do a thorough evaluation and present you with our findings. Then we can come up with a plan of action together.