Sealcoating Asphalt Driveway: Best Practices

Quality sealcoating products help boost an asphalt driveway’s curb appeal. Yet sealers are not merely for aesthetics as they also protect the surface from harmful elements like heat, rainwater, and snow. To perform as expected, sealcoating products must first be applied properly—a process that entails the following steps:

Make the necessary driveway repairs.

Sealers barely have any effect on uneven surfaces. For this reason, it is important to fix existing cracks and holes first before applying sealant. Paving experts typically use a patching compound for small cracks and dents similar to the putty used for windows. For bigger holes, it’s best to use cold blacktop patch. Patches are left to dry completely for a few days before sealing commences.

Apply sealer during nice weather.

Expert paving operatives wait until the weather is cooperative before they begin any sealcoating project. Even the slightest precipitation can defeat the purpose of applying sealant. Some experts recommend that the best time for sealcoating is between the months of May and September, especially when applying the acrylic-based variety.

DIY sealcoating is possible, but if you want minimal business disruptions, it’s best to call on professional asphalt driveway specialists who can carry out the job in an efficient manner. This way, you can minimize disruptions to business operations.

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The Importance of Parking Lot Maintenance

Most parking lot owners or operators likely have little worry about maintaining their properties for as long as customers keep pouring in. For them, all it takes is to a bit of cleaning and sweeping off dirt and dust. It’s probably only when they are hit with a premises liability lawsuit that they think to themselves, “I should have maintained my property better.”

A parking lot is a heavy traffic area that bears the weight of combined heavy and light vehicles on a daily basis, requiring utmost maintenance efforts. It’s also exposed to the elements, ranging from harmful UV rays to rainfall. A good way to combat negative effects due to those factors is to apply a sealcoat to the surface as a layer of protection.

A parking lot that’s not been regularly applied with a sealcoat is prone to potholes, cracks, and rough or uneven surfaces. These can prove to be a trip hazard, with any unfortunate person stepping on it, and then slipping and falling, thereby incurring injuries. This scenario, of course, is ripe for a premises liability lawsuit, which no property owner would ever want to have to deal with.

Facing a case like this is not only expensive, it can also tarnish a business reputation as well. To avoid such legal issues, maintenance should be on every property and parking lot owner’s mind. Simple efforts like filling in cracks and potholes can help, as well as sealcoating.

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Factors that Cause Deterioration of Pavements

Parking lots in commercial establishments, like offices and retail stores, are exposed to heavy traffic on a daily basis. For this reason, property owners and managers have to keep an eye out on any sign of pavement deterioration like potholes and cracks which can obstruct daily operations. Sadly though, heavy traffic is not the only cause for pavements to deteriorate. Here are some other causes:

Extreme heat

Summer temperatures experienced in the East Coast states like New York and New Jersey may not be as bad as ones experienced in Western states like Nevada and Arkansas, but NJ property owners still have a lot to worry about when it comes to extreme heat. Triple-digit temperatures can cause asphalt paving to buckle, making them unpassable and unsafe for vehicles.

Extreme cold

If extreme heat is not good for pavements, so is extreme cold. Here, when the mercury dips low, a frost heave occurs which allows water to get under the pavement. When the water turns to ice, the pavement expands and thus tends to blow up, leading to cracks.

Improper maintenance

At times, the weather doesn’t pose any problems at all, but pavements still deteriorate. Possibly the biggest reason? Improper maintenance. To prevent pavement damage due to improper maintenance, property owners should draw up regular cleaning and sealcoating plans with the help of professional paving contractors.

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