When Should I Sealcoat?
Pittsburgh commercial sealcoating can help you save hundreds and thousands of dollars in asphalt re-surfacing and replacement costs, if you sealcoat at the proper times. Asphalt parking lots and walkways are more resistant to weathering and petrochemical leaks (brake fluids, gasoline and motor oils), when they are sealed. Sealcoating creates a beautiful black finish, reinforces waterproofing and helps prevent cracking. So if your commercial blacktop surfaces have begun to show signs of deterioration or discoloration, call our team today. We can help you devise a plan to restore the beauty and functionality of your asphalt.
Contact us today if your parking lot is showing signs of:
Pittsburgh commercial sealcoating can help you save hundreds and thousands of dollars in asphalt re-surfacing and replacement costs, if you sealcoat at the proper times. Asphalt parking lots and walkways are more resistant to weathering and petrochemical leaks (brake fluids, gasoline and motor oils), when they are sealed. Sealcoating creates a beautiful black finish, reinforces waterproofing and helps prevent cracking. So if your commercial blacktop surfaces have begun to show signs of deterioration or discoloration, call our team today. We can help you devise a plan to restore the beauty and functionality of your asphalt.
Alligatoring
This common indication of asphalt failure is caused by heavy traffic on blacktop surfaces that have lost their flexibility, due to age and sun exposure. Alligatoring appears as a pattern of interconnected cracks that resemble the skin of an alligator. It is the earliest warning sign of asphalt failure, and the sooner commercial sealcoating is performed the better. If left untreated, alligatoring will worsen and the affected areas will have to be removed and replaced in order to repair the surface.
Buckling
This sign of distress is caused by heaving, which can be the result of subterranean water penetration or the natural thermal expansion of the asphalt. Water expands by 9% when it is frozen. So, when it penetrates, saturates and expands the foundation soil of the blacktop surface, it pushes – or heaves – the foundation soil upward, resulting in cracks, uneven surfaces and buckling.
Shrinkage Cracks
These indications of blacktop breakdown look similar to the cracks caused by alligatoring, except that shrinkage cracks are broader. The distance between cracks associated with alligatoring can be measured in inches; the distances between cracks associated with shrinkage are measured in feet.
Potholes
These signs of failure typically manifest due to the erosion of soil beneath the asphalt surface. Erosion can be due to water penetration or the decomposition of organic materials contained in the subterranean soil. Potholes must be repaired by addressing the deficiencies of the foundation bed, beneath the surface of the asphalt. Pittsburgh commercial seal coating can help prevent the water infiltration that leads to foundation erosion.
Graying
Asphalt discoloration – or bleaching – occurs due to heat and exposure to UV rays that cause emulsifying oils to evaporate.
The loss of these oils diminishes the flexibility of asphalt and lends to shrinking, cracking and crumbling.