Frequently Asked Questions
Asphalt is porous and needs sealcoating to ensure that it has a much longer life than that of unsealed pavement. Even on a weak pavement, sealcoating will prevent water and oxidizing effects of the sun, salts, and petroleum spillage. This high-quality coating preserves the pavement surface, and the asphalt and aggregate layers will remain protected and moist for flexibility.
Is sealing my asphalt really that important?
Sealcoating needs to be thought of as “waterproofing” and just as you seal or waterproof wood decks yearly, the same should be done for asphalt surfaces. As a matter of fact, more attention should be paid to asphalt paving than wood decks because of the chemicals, snow removal operations and vehicle traffic that it is subjected to on a daily basis.
Sealer is sealer so I’ll just hire the cheapest company or guy that comes along.
WRONG plan. There are all kinds of grades of sealer, so you get what you pay for here. We only use a premixed sealer from the Brewer Co. a primere manufacture. There is also contrate mixes out there that contractors can dilute themselves, and they do to the point of 80% water when it should only be 60% or less. Of course there are the traveling “Gypsys” from out of state who mix used motor oil with water, and by the time the first rain comes and it washes off they are who knows where with your money. You want a local contractor with professional equipment and signage, and charging a fair price.
Why would I hire A-1 when I can get the sealer at one of the big box lumber yards?
Will the weather cause any scheduling issues?
It can, if there is rain in the forecast we hold off because the sealer is an asphalt/ polymer mix that is water soluble so rain will spot it up and can even wash it away. The temperature also needs to be above 50 for timely drying. In the fall it can be applied until the nights are reaching freezing since its water soluble.
Is one method of application better than another?
Spraying is the best way because it gives the thickest even coating. Brushing takes more time and is uneven and is used by under equipped contractors concerned with profit not quality because they don’t want to spend the money to get a spray unit. Think about it this way, if you’re doing painting with a spray can it’s very easy to put too much on and get runs but not with a brush. With a brush you can get uneven streaks because it is pulling all of the material along and leaving behind what goes thru the bristles.
Squeegee, not an acceptable method as it barely coats the surface. You use a squeegee when you’re trying to get water off of a surface, so why would you want someone to use it to spread a coating?
Can cracks just be covered over with sealer?
NO, the sealer will fill in small imperfections under 1/8th of an inch or the thickness of two quarters, but a mastic or heated filler must be used on bigger cracks and “alligatored” areas.
Because if you don’t you are inviting trouble over the cold winter months. Very costly repairs or even replacement will be needed because the cracks and holes let water seep into the aggregate foundation under the pavement. In the cold months during the freezes, the water turns to ice and expands along with the cracks and holes. Fixing these cracks and holes now along with sealing the pavement will preserve your investment. The money spent on prepping before the sealing is nothing compared to thousands for patching or replacement.