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sealcoating

Why Seal Coating is So Important

Most of us want to protect our investments. This is true whether it’s a new car that needs routine oil changes or a new house that will eventually need a new coat of paint. When it comes to asphalt, seal coating on a regular basis is the best way to protect your pavement investment.

To understand the importance of seal coating, we should start by explaining that asphalt is made up of aggregates and an oil-based binder. If the oil base dries out, the asphalt can lose its flexibility and become brittle – meaning it will be more susceptible to damage such as cracks and crumbling. While heavy use is certainly a contributing factor in asphalt wear and tear, one of the biggest causes of asphalt damage is the weather. Hot sun, moisture, and drying wind can damage an asphalt surface. Put very simply, seal coating protects your asphalt pavement from the harsh effects of the weather.

Sun

Sunny climates can be hard on asphalt. The sun dries the oil base in the pavement, which causes oxidation. Once that oxidation takes place, the surface is much more likely to become damaged and crack. Seal coating acts as a sunscreen for the asphalt, so that the sun rays aren’t as damaging as they would be without it.

Water

Of all the elements that negatively affect asphalt, water is arguably the worst. When the oil base of the asphalt begins to dry out, water more easily seeps into the pavement. This trapped moisture creates cracks in the asphalt. One of the greatest benefits of seal coating is that it waterproofs the asphalt surface.

Minor Repairs

In addition to protecting your asphalt surface, seal coating also fills in small cracks that have formed on the pavement surface. If these small cracks are allowed to grow, other repair methods will need to be used to repair the damage. If repairs are put off for long periods of time, the surface may even need to be repaved. Fortunately, regular seal coating often repairs tiny cracks before they have a chance to grow and require repair or repaving.

Most paving specialists recommend that seal coating be done on a regular basis, although exactly when that should take place depends on the climate. In mild climates, every 3 to 5 years might be adequate. In other areas, seal coating may be required once a year. Talk to your paving contractor for more information.
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