What Are the Treasure Coast Sealcoating Application Guidelines?
When you make sealcoating part of your routine asphalt maintenance, you can add years to your pavement’s life, reduce the number and cost of any repairs needed, and make sure that your pavement is contributing to your property’s aesthetic appeal. Although you may think that applying an asphalt sealant is as simple as mopping a floor, the application procedure is actually a series of steps that contractors must complete to ensure high-quality results. These steps can be grouped into four broad categories, which are planning the job, scheduling the work, preparing the pavement, and applying the sealant.
How Do Contractors Plan a Sealcoating Job?
Before they can seal coat a pavement, contractors must know what they will encounter on the job. No two pavements are completely identical, so contractors visit the client’s site to determine whether there are areas that lie in dense shade, asphalt repairs that need to be made, or obstacles that their crews will need to work around to apply the sealant correctly. They will plan the most effective ways to control traffic around the site, where the application should start and end, and what steps may need to be taken to ensure that the sealant remains confined to the pavement. During this phase, contractors will also select the best sealant for the job, determine the amount of sealant that will be required, decide whether an additive will be needed, and determine the staffing and equipment needed.
How Do Contractors Schedule an Asphalt Sealcoating Application?
Scheduling a sealant application involves more than just finding a time when the contractor’s equipment and workers are available. Every seal coat is quite sensitive to weather conditions, so contractors must schedule jobs for times when the weather is most likely to be cooperative. This means that the temperature cannot fall below about 55 degrees until the sealant has been applied and allowed to cure for at least 24 hours. There should be no rain in the forecast for the night before, the day of, and the day after the application. Scheduling can also be impacted by certain customer requirements, including working only on a weekend or holiday, dividing the work area into excessively small areas that must be completed before closing another area, or starting or ending all work at a specific time.
How Are Pavements Prepared for Sealcoating?
Typically, contractors perform an initial cleaning of the pavement so that they can identify any damage. Asphalt repairs are a major part of ensuring that a pavement is prepared to accept a sealant. This is one reason that many contractors include crack and pothole repairs on their menu of paving services. Furthermore, if one asphalt company can handle your repairs, seal coat your pavement, and provide your parking lot striping, it is easier for the contractor to schedule your job than if they need to coordinate their portion of the work with one or more additional contractors. After making the repairs, contractors usually perform an additional cleaning that is more intense than the initial cleaning. If there are spots that may need help to bond to the sealant, contractors may apply a primer.
How Does an Asphalt Company Apply a Seal Coat?
There are several ways to apply asphalt sealcoating, but most contractors use a combination of sprayers and squeegees. Hand squeegees may be used next to structures, walls, ramps, curbs, or other features that could be damaged or stained by the sealant. For large, open areas, the sealant is usually applied by spraying it onto the pavement. The sealant needs to be applied evenly and at the appropriate thickness. If multiple coats are needed, each coat must be thin enough to dry quickly so that the next coat can be applied, but contractors must make sure that they do not apply the sealant too thinly. Because you should not allow vehicles onto your pavement until the following day, contractors often leave their traffic control measures in place overnight. Normally, they return to pick up their devices the next day and perform a final inspection of their work.
Asphalt Care Services Can Provide You With the Paving Services You Need
Asphalt Care Services is a well-respected asphalt company with decades of experience, an impeccable reputation, and a commitment to help every customer get the longest possible life for their pavements. Our services include asphalt sealcoating, bumper block installation, asphalt repairs, traffic signage, speed bump installation, asphalt paving, and thermoplastic line striping. Our reputation has been earned by consistently delivering work of the highest quality, going the extra distance for our clients, and conducting our business with professionalism and integrity. We would be happy to provide you with a free quote. Simply fill out the online request form, send an email to [email protected], or call us at 561-855-1336 or 772-888-2840.
