Sealcoating
Sealcoating is the application of a product over the top of asphalt to seal and protect it from the elements. Sealcoating will greatly extend the life of asphalt and give it that fresh newly paved flat black look. Sealcoat also provides new traction to old "raveled" asphalt. Over time asphalt loses its strength and wears down making the aggregate in the asphalt appear on the surface. The aggregate then becomes worn smooth and slippery when wet posing potentially dangerous driving conditions. Our sealcoat has a heavy abrasive base material (ground slate) mixed in and gives a new texture to the asphalt providing new traction to your asphalt.
Methods of Sealcoating
There are a few different methods to applying sealcoat and we usually try to stick to the best available for the project. Sealcoat can be applied via broom, brush, spray or squeegee.
1. Spraying sealcoat is what we believe to be the best application. When an asphalt sealcoat is sprayed on, it is applied in a very uniform pattern and is left on the surface of the exposed aggregate giving the asphalt a long lasting protective layer, especially when two coats are applied. Spraying sealcoat also penetrates deep into the small fines in the asphalt filling in the tiny pockets that hold moisture and lead to breakdown. Not every job can be sprayed and in most cases, jobs that can be sprayed will require a bit of broom, brush or squeegee work to be done around concrete and other areas where over-spray is a factor.
2. Broom/Brush application is a great way to apply asphalt sealcoat. When you broom the sealcoat in, it works the product down into the small pockets penetrating and leaving no air bubbles in the final result. The downside to this is that sometimes it leaves slight broom lines. Most jobs require a bit of broom work around concrete, decorative rock, structures and the street.
3. Squeegee is another popular way of applying sealcoat. Using a Squeegee will get a smooth finish on the product but has a few drawbacks. The first is that it does NOT really penetrate into the asphalt very well. Its smooth rubber surface merely pulls the sealcoat material around and does NOT work it down into the tiny pockets and pores of dry asphalt. The second drawback is that it wipes too much sealcoat material off of the surface of the small smooth exposed aggregate. This will look good for a little while but I have seen where the rocks are showing again in less than 1 year. The third drawback is that as the sealcoat begins to wear down, you will see exactly where the squeegee was worked in half moon patterns. This is because the sealcoat is not worked in exactly the same across the asphalt.
If a project is too tight for spray, and we most always apply two coats, we do a combination of broom, squeegee.
The first application with the broom will push the sealcoat down into the pores of the asphalt as well as leaving a good amount on the surface of the exposed smooth aggregate. Then after the first coat is completely dry, we will apply the second coat working it out with the squeegee. This will leave the asphalt with a nice smooth finish on the surface.
