Can Extreme Heat Affect an Asphalt Sealcoating Application?
The best gift you can give your asphalt pavement is a regular application of a quality sealant. Sealing your pavement can extend its useful life, slash your repair bills, and improve your pavement’s visual appeal. However, asphalt sealcoating needs to be applied on days when the weather conditions are acceptable if the sealant is to provide the protection that it should for as long as it should.
What Weather Conditions Affect Asphalt Sealcoating Applications?
Sealcoating is applied as a liquid mixture of sealant, water, and sand. As it cures, the tiny particles in the mixture knit together to create a tough shell that adheres to the pavement. In order to cure, asphalt seal coating must lose its water through the process of evaporation, and the rate of evaporation depends on humidity, air flow, and, most importantly, temperature. The ideal conditions to seal coat asphalt pavements include a humidity level of less than 50%, a light breeze, and a temperature of around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Local paving companies know that when asphalt sealcoating Treasure Coast pavements, ideal conditions are rarely encountered. Sealant manufacturers are also aware that ideal conditions are seldom found in many parts of the country, so they provide a range of conditions that will be acceptable. Manufacturers recommend that sealcoating companies apply their products when the temperature is between 50 degrees and 90 degrees.
If the Temperature Is Over 90 Degrees, Can Asphalt Sealcoating Still Be Applied?
Once the temperature reaches 90 degrees, sealcoating contractors must exercise caution to avoid what they refer to as flash drying. Flash drying occurs when the liquid sealcoating dries almost as soon as it touches a hot pavement. Although rapid drying might sound like a good thing, it is not. Flash drying can prevent the sealant from establishing a proper bond, and the nearly instantaneous drying can prevent the sealant from curing correctly. Proper curing requires that the sealant dry and cure from the top down, but flash drying forces it to try to cure from the bottom up. The sealant will have a shorter life, and its life could potentially be just a few hours long. Fortunately, experienced sealcoating companies know a variety of techniques to compensate for the excessive heat without sacrificing the quality of the results. Furthermore, local paving companies know that they must also consider the wind speed and velocity when asphalt sealcoating Treasure Coast pavements. Thus, contractors must carefully evaluate all three factors to determine whether it is too hot to apply asphalt seal coating.
Let Asphalt Care Services Assist You With Your Pavement-Related Needs
We are a commercial asphalt maintenance and paving company offering our services to clients in most Treasure Coast towns, including Sebastian, Boca Raton, Hobe Sound, Fort Pierce, West Palm Beach, Indian River, Okeechobee, Port St. Lucie, Vero Beach, and Stuart. Our services include sealcoating, asphalt paving, parking lot striping, asphalt repair, parking lot maintenance, concrete bumpers, thermoplastic line striping, speed bump installation, and traffic signage. We are known for our reliability, workmanship, and customer service. If you are interested in receiving a free quote, submit the online quote request, email [email protected], or call 561-855-1336 or 772-888-2840.
