FAQs
What is sealcoating and why should I do it?
Sealcoating is the application of a coal tar emulsion or asphalt-based sealer over your parking lot (sometimes including water, emulsifying agents, sand, and/or additives). Pavement sealing is used to protect your asphalt surfaces against gasoline, oil, salt, water, and ultraviolet rays. Properly scheduled sealcoating will extend the life cycle of your parking lot.
how often should i sealcoat?
Every 1-3 years, depending on your climate, the amount of traffic, and what type of traffic your parking lot receives.
What is crack sealing and why should I do it?
Crack sealing is the removal of all dirt and debris from cracks (usually between ¼” to ½” thick) prior to installation of a hot pour rubberized sealant. It should be performed as needed (not often on young asphalt and up to annually on asphalt reaching the end of its life cycle) to prevent water infiltration that will disrupt the binder and base courses.
What is an asphalt rejuvenator?
While sealcoating seals the surface of the asphalt and prevents unwanted chemicals from seeping in, an asphalt rejuvenator penetrates the asphalt well below the surface to chemically revitalize (or rejuvenate) and protect the asphalt binder. Rejuvenators restore the components of asphalt lost in the aging process and are designed to penetrate, flux, and co-mingle with the existing asphalt binder. While not abundantly popular in the paving maintenance world, studies have shown that the application of an asphalt rejuvenator will extend the life cycle of your pavement. One useful analogy is that a rejuvenator is like getting the oil changed in your car, while sealcoating is like buffing and repainting it.
What is hot mix asphalt (HMA)?
Hot mix asphalt is a mixture of asphalt binder and graded mineral aggregate mixed at an elevated temperature and compacted to form a relatively dense pavement layer (approximately 5% binder and 95% aggregate). Engineering mix designs for HMA will also include different modifiers/additives that can fit your asphalt to specific needs for your project.
How hot is asphalt when paving?
Asphalt should be between 220-290 degrees Fahrenheit to be properly applied. Lower temperatures will degrade the quality of the installation. This is why (in cold climates) asphalt plants shut down for the winter.
What is cold patch asphalt?
Cold patch asphalt is pre-mixed asphalt that is unheated and used to fill pot holes or small repairs. It is recommended to be used for temporary and/or emergency repairs.
What is surface course, binder course, and base course?
As the names suggest, surface course is the top layer of your asphalt parking lot (usually 1.5”-2.5” thick) and the binder course is the binding layer of asphalt beneath it (ranging from 2”-6” thick). These two courses are asphalt mixes, the former having smaller aggregate (typically 9.5mm) than the latter (typically 19mm). The binder course provides added strength while the surface course provides a smooth finish. The base course (ranging from 4”-12” thick) is the bottom layer made of stone aggregate and provides the solid foundation for your asphalt.
What is bituminous cement?
In layman’s terms, bituminous cement is another name for asphalt. Asphalt is a composite of aggregates, sand, and bitumen, where bitumen acts as a liquid binding material that holds asphalt together. Stated simply, we can relatively say that asphalt is concrete (mixture) while bitumen is cement (binder) for pavements.
What is oil and chip?
Also known as bituminous sealcoat or chip seal, it covers an existing road/parking lot with a layer of oil and stone that seals blacktop asphalt and provides a wearable surface. Rarely would we recommend an oil and chip as it’s the repair fits oddly in between a sealcoating and a resurfacing.