Asphalt surfaces are designed to withstand multiple environmental threats, including moisture, pressure, impact, sunlight, and more. Over time, however, these forces will wear down even the toughest pavement. Without proper maintenance, your parking lot or driveway can quickly become a serious liability, requiring ongoing, costly repairs and dragging down your property’s curb appeal. Asphalt sealcoating is one maintenance task that should never go overlooked. This process provides an additional layer (usually composed of dissolved asphalt fillers and water) to your asphalt surfaces – experts recommend sealcoating your pavement every three years or so.
Let’s explore why sealcoating is essential for long-term asphalt maintenance.
Guards Against Moisture Intrusion
Moisture represents one of the biggest threats to asphalt surfaces. A little water might not seem like a force to be reckoned with, but it has a way of finding every opening in your pavement, no matter how small. As water enters your asphalt’s pores and cracks, it slowly deteriorates it from the inside out. Worse yet, when temperatures drop low enough, any water within your asphalt will begin to freeze, expanding and fracturing the pavement. These cracks make way for more water and the freeze-thaw cycle continues. Sealcoating makes it harder for moisture to break through and do damage – think of it as a defensive shield.
Combats UV Damage
The sun is another concern for your asphalt, heating things up and fading your asphalt from rich black to dull grey over time. By investing in blacktop sealcoating, those damaging UV rays can’t as easily access the underlying asphalt – after all, they have an additional layer to go through. Keep in mind, of course, that the sun will still heat up your asphalt (sealcoating layers are black and therefore absorb heat).
Keeps Your Asphalt Flexible
Asphalt is inherently flexible, but it becomes more rigid over time. It’s crucial to keep your asphalt somewhat loose so it doesn’t crack under all the pressure it regularly faces. Fortunately, asphalt sealcoating products provide additional flexibility so your surfaces don’t crack so easily. Considering that so much of driveway and parking lot repair deals with filling cracks and potholes, this increased flexibility greatly reduces the number of repairs you’ll have to invest in over the long term.
Prolongs Your Asphalt’s Lifespan
The three benefits of sealcoating outlined above ultimately extend your asphalt’s longevity. While regular repairs can keep your pavement in decent condition over the years, there will come a time when basic repairs aren’t enough to salvage your lot or driveway – at this time, an asphalt parking lot paving project may be in order, or you may need to invest in a more intensive project such as milling, reclamation, or reconstruction. Each of these tasks differs in cost and time consumption, but they’re all more expensive and time-consuming than sealcoating your pavement once every few years. Put simply, keeping up with periodic sealcoating can keep your asphalt around for decades to come with minimal repairs.
Maintains Your Asphalt’s Appearance
Functionality is usually more important than aesthetics, but these elements go hand-in-hand when it comes to pavement. When your asphalt driveway paving looks good, it usually performs well, too. If nothing else, you want your driveway or parking lot to reflect well on your property. Sealcoating doesn’t just fix up your asphalt and protect it from further harm – it also restores its smooth, rich appearance without the need for repaving.
Seal the Deal this Summer with Asphalt Sealcoating
Taking the right steps to maintain your asphalt here and now will reduce the number of repairs you have to invest in down the line. Sealcoating is a crucial component of these maintenance efforts. Cassidy Paving is your premier asphalt repair and sealcoating provider in New England. Call us today at 866-978-9788 for a free estimate on your next asphalt project!