Asphalt resurfacing - How to know when to sealcoat or resurface old asphalt?
How do you know if your driveway can be seal coated or needs to be repaved? From superficial cracks to significant wear and tear, the process requires careful consideration and planning. Concrete is popular for driveways due to its affordability. Still, it tends to crack under pressure, and adverse weather conditions and repairs can be challenging.
The most common driveway material is asphalt, also known as blacktop. It’s economical and can be repaired more than once by just repaving. However, it does tend to break down as time goes by. Another material used in driveways is brick pavers, and while they can last a long time, the upfront costs can be high.
Asphalt Sealcoating!
Sealcoating your driveway is very important as we edge closer to the winter months, bringing cold temperatures, precipitation, and frost. The seal coat will protect it from the elements and will keep your driveway looking new and beautiful. Maintaining your asphalt driveway can save you money and is easy to do with the right equipment, supplies, and a little bit of practice.
The professionals at Skye Asphalt Paving, Plano offer some insights on what to anticipate on asphalt sealcoating.
What is the importance of seal coating a driveway?
Sealcoating prolongs the life expectancy of your pavement assets by providing a protective layer to protect them from the weather, traffic, and fuel spillage.
In addition, the low cost of regular seal coating can save you money in the long run.
A properly maintained and sealed asphalt driveway has an extended lifetime and reduces long-term repair costs.
Your property’s asphalt driveway or pavement is likely one of the most significant investments you have made, and you will naturally want to keep it looking as good as new for as long as possible.
Sealcoating is one of the most effective ways to keep your asphalt driveway in the best possible condition for many years. Your driveway is one of the first things people see when they arrive at your house. Increase your home’s curb appeal by taking excellent care of your asphalt driveway.
Asphalt resurfacing
Signs that your asphalt parking lot needs
Resurfacing your parking lot is an essential part of your business. It is usually the first impression a customer will have of your business. If it is in ill repair, the customer may pack it up and leave. Your parking lot gets heavy use, and in addition to the aesthetics, you need to ensure the safety of your employees and customers. Keeping your parking lot in good condition will help with this.
Here are some criteria to consider when deciding whether to resurface your parking lot.
Faded lines
The sun is intense and beats down on parking lots year-round. The sun, along with the rain and wind from storms, will cause the lines in your parking lot to fade over time. Parking lot lines are essential to distinguish between handicap spots, no parking zones, and regular parking spots. If your parking lot lines are fading, it is time for renewal. First, we will brightly re-paint the ropes, then apply a seal coating to preserve the brightness of these lines for as long as possible.
Cracks and potholes
The sun and water can cause the asphalt to crack over time. As the water seeps into these cracks, they will become more prominent, and eventually, a pothole may form. These are hazards in parking lots to both vehicles as well as pedestrians. We will repair cracks and potholes by removing loose asphalt, filling the cracks and holes, then resurfacing the area to create a hazard-free surface.
Warping and pooling of water
Suppose your parking lot sees a lot of activity, not only from vehicles but also from delivery or heavy trucks. In that case, it may experience warping over time. These uneven surfaces can be a hazard to people walking in your parking lot. In addition, dips may form, which can cause pooling of water, which, if left unsolved, can lead to cracks and potholes in the surface. Resurfacing the parking lot will fix the warping and dips in the parking lot.
Suppose you are experiencing one or more of these problems. In that case, you should consider repairing or resurfacing your parking lot for safety and appearance. Skye asphalt paving service performs asphalt parking lot repair and resurfacing. We can help you determine whether to repair your parking lot effectively or if a resurface is necessary.
How does professional asphalt resurfacing works?
Generally, you would start with a compacted and finely graded stone base for a new driveway installation or a dig out and repave. Then you would use an asphalt binder for the initial base on top of the stone. The binder is an asphalt comprised of larger rocks and ends up being extremely coarse. Apply the layer at a minimum of 2″. After the binder is laid and compacted with a roller.
Then the excellent asphalt should be applied on top of it at 1 1/2 to 2″ and then rolled again.
Instead of doing this, many contractors opt to install 3TS asphalt, a large and small stone mix, which they do for two reasons. First, instead of having to do two steps, they can do one step using the same material for the whole job, and second because instead of giving you a 4″ driveway they can usually cheat the homeowner and lay down 2-3″ of blacktop and line their pockets.
As for the seal coating of the driveway, it is to squeegee the seal coat on in a giant U shape to ensure even coverage and to make sure you let sealer flow over the sides of the driveway because the first spots to give out usually are the unsealed edges.
What is SEALCOATING, and why should I do it?
- Sealcoating protects and prolongs the life expectancy of asphalt pavement by filling surface damage and providing a protective layer to keep out damaging UV rays, vehicle fluids, and water.
- The low cost of regular seal coating can save you money in the long run. A properly maintained and sealed asphalt surface has an extended lifetime and reduces long-term repair costs.
- With exposure to the elements, asphalt pavement over time becomes faded in appearance. A new seal coat application enhances the appearance of asphalt, making it look and wear like new.
- Sealcoating is typically done using one of two application methods: spray or squeegee/brush.
- Sealcoating accelerates the melting process of snow and ice on pavement surfaces and helps to protect against water penetration, rain, frost, and snow damage.
- To correctly complete the seal coating process, the air and pavement temperature is recommended to be at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit for the duration of the application and eight hours following the application.
- Before pavement sealing, clear the asphalt surface of all dirt and debris. In addition, minor repairs, like potholes and cracks, should be filled, and vehicle fluids, like oil, should be properly removed.
How often should you seal your driveway?
It would be best to seal your asphalt driveway every three years to maintain its appearance and protect it from oxidation which leads to cracks, potholes, and depressions.
It will also extend the life of your pavement asset up to 300% that means it would save you from costly repair and replacement.
If it’s done every three years, you can generally extend the life of that pavement by about 300 percent, which ultimately means that the maintenance that you’re doing for a very inexpensive investment is yielding you significant gains.
An asphalt driveway unsealed will need to get replaced every 15 years or so, whereas if it’s seal coated, you can extend the life of that pavement asset to about 45 years
In addition to that, one of the extra bonuses is that you get an enhanced beautified investment; an excellent black seal coated surface that looks nice and clean brings out the colors in the property
Go ahead and seal coat your driveway every three years, and you’ll be on your way to saving money and beautifying your investment
Asphalt sealing cost per square foot
- If you’re a residential homeowner that’s hiring a contractor to seal coat your driveway, expect to pay between 25¢ to 45¢ per square foot.
- The cost of the materials used for the job; you may expect around 4¢ to 7¢ per square foot.
- The age and square footage of the asphalt affect these calculations.
- Aging asphalt requires more sealer than a brand new one, and more extensive properties need more sealer, longer working hours, and effort from a contractor.
Plano asphalt paving | driveway repair | Skye asphalt Plano TX
Leading asphalt contractor in Plano
At Skye asphalt, it’s our goal to be your first choice when you need a reliable contractor for asphalt seal coating and paving projects in Plano, TX. We offer a range of asphalt paving services, such as resurfacing, new paving, pothole repair, and asphalt repair.
Feel free to call us @ (469) 251-5892 if you have any questions about pricing a seal coating job and how to maintain your driveway to save money.
