When you chose asphalt for your new Austin pavement, you probably weighed the economic benefits when making your decision. After all, asphalt paving is significantly less expensive than concrete paving, and you would not need to wait as long to open your new pavement to traffic. However, if you want to keep reaping the financial rewards of an asphalt pavement, you will need to provide it will a little routine maintenance from time to time. One of the most effective and economical maintenance procedures you can provide is a periodic sealcoating by a reputable, experienced contractor.
What Is Sealcoating?
Asphalt sealcoating is a mixture of a manufactured sealant, water, and silica sand. When sealcoating Austin TX properties, contractors sometimes incorporate an additive as well. Sealcoating contractors then apply the liquid mix to a pavement that has been thoroughly cleaned and repaired. As it cures, the seal coating adheres to the pavement to create a tough, durable, protective shield. Sealcoating also offer cosmetic benefits; they can restore faded asphalt to its original color, and they make the pavement appear more even and smoother. Because parking lot sealcoating in Austin TX can protect your pavement from damage, it can save you a significant amount of money in repairs over the life of your asphalt pavement.
What Type of Damage Can Sealcoating Prevent or Mitigate?
When you include seal coating in your asphalt maintenance program, you can help protect your pavement against its three worst enemies: automotive fluids, water, and UV rays. Sealcoating Austin TX asphalt pavements can also help protect against enemies that can mar the beauty of your pavement, including overheated tires and faded color.
1. Your pavement is exposed to UV rays every day, and UV rays make asphalt pavements dry, faded, brittle, and more likely to crack. Asphalt sealcoating is highly effective at blocking UV rays.
2. Asphalt sealcoating is very effective at retarding the progression of automotive fluids from the surface to the pavement. Most automotive fluids are petroleum-based products that can break down the binder holding the pavement together. Automotive fluids soften the pavement beneath them, and it begins to crumble as the binder is destroyed. This crumbly mess can quickly turn into a pothole. A high-quality sealcoat will give you extra time to clean up automotive fluids before they can reach your pavement.
3. Preventing or reducing the likelihood of cracks or potholes will protect your pavement from a third enemy: water infiltration. When your asphalt company built your pavement, they placed multiple layers of asphalt on top of a strong, stable, well-compacted foundation. When water enters through breaks in your pavement, gravity will keep pulling it deeper into the structure until it reaches the foundation. The water will erode the foundation, weakening and destabilizing it. Alligatored asphalt, birdbaths, and potholes can all be symptoms of foundation damage, and foundation damage can be costly to repair.
4. Sealcoating Austin TX pavements also makes it more likely that you will be able to resurface your pavement rather than reconstruct it. Asphalt resurfacing is a technique in which an asphalt company will use a milling machine to remove two or three inches of an existing pavement before installing an asphalt overlay. Overlays can look and perform just like a rebuilt pavement, but the cost is substantially less. However, an overlay may not be cost-effective if there is extensive damage to the foundation.
5. Sometimes, seemingly minor damage can turn into a problem for asphalt pavements. Loose gravel can scratch unprotected pavements, piles of debris can trap moisture and encourage the growth of algae or fungi, and certain types of tires can inflict unusual wear patterns, especially during the summer months. Asphalt sealcoating gives you another line of defense against the so-called little things that can lead to worse problems.
When you need assistance for asphalt sealcoating, RDC Paving is ready and able to provide you with exceptional results at competitive prices. Our services include concrete repairs, asphalt overlays, parking lot striping, asphalt paving, asphalt milling, driveway paving, asphalt crack repairs, concrete curbs, asphalt repairs, and parking lot maintenance programs. We are known for our honesty, superior craftsmanship, exemplary customer service, and professionalism. We offer free quotes, so submit the online form to request yours today, or, if you prefer, you can call 512-920-9155.
