What Is Sealcoating?

Asphalt pavement to keep it in simple terms is primarily rock and/or stone and gravel along with a binder. The rock or aggregate is held together with this binder also known as asphalt cement. The binder is created from the distillation process of certain crude oils. Maintaining this binder is essential in prolonging the deterioration of asphalt surfaces. Rain, U.V. rays, and chemicals as they are introduced into the asphalt will degrade the binder and thus begin the degradation process of the asphalt and will create a surface that turns brittle. To reduce the effects of these elements, it is important to implement a maintenance program that utilizes sealcoating to extend the life of your parking lot or driveway.

Sealcoating will provide a layer of protection blocking out the elements of water and oils and U.V. damage. In addition, when applied to manufacturers' specifications, sealcoating provides a slip resistant surface with a deep black finish that beautifies the parking lot or driveway as well. Oxidation and water penetration are the leading causes of asphalt pavement failure. The sun's ultraviolet rays break down the asphalt binder that holds the pavement together. Moisture that is allowed to enter cracks in pavement will erode the base, causing potholes and general pavement breakup. Moisture also penetrates the pores of the pavement causing further erosion as well as freeze-thaw damage.

Sealcoats are typically bituminous based products or acrylics. The sealcoat is in a liquid formulation of one of the above emulsions mixed with water, silica sand, polymer additives and other proprietary fillers and solids. These products can be applied by brush, spray or squeegee. A regularly scheduled sealcoating program will more than double the life of the asphalt saving you significant dollars down the line. Instead of having to pay thousands of dollars for new pavement, it is more cost effective to spend only pennies on the dollar per square foot to maintain.

When applying a sealcoating product, follow the important steps referenced below to get the most protection and optimum performance. A minimum of two coats should be applied. Temperatures must be a minimum of 50 degrees and rising for a period of not less than 24 hours. Do not apply when temperatures are forecasted to get below the 50 degree mark. Also, do not apply if rain is imminent within the same 24 hour period. Once finished with the application of sealcoat, allow to cure 24 hours before allowing vehicle traffic back on the surface.

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Things to Consider Before Hiring An Asphalt Paving Company

The use of asphalt demands specific methods as well as tools. So when it's time for you to repave your driveway, the sidewalk of your business or even a parking lot, you have to pick an asphalt paving company that provides the absolute best service for your needs.

For a number of individuals, choosing an asphalt paving company appears like an easy thing to do. Usually, you only contact several companies over the phone, get a quotation, and then pick the cheapest one. Though this method may be acceptable for many, it's certainly not for someone who is after quality results, or if the work carried out is worth every penny spent. There are numerous points you need to consider before you pick a paving company for your project.

Listed here are several recommendations when choosing a good asphalt paving company

The first thing you want to do is to actually gather info about the outfit. Check the company's background, the number of years they have been in business, as well as feedbacks of their former tasks or jobs. It's similarly essential to find out if the company's license and insurance coverage are legal as well as in good standing. Ensure that the company is connected well for your own protection.

An additional important suggestion is to talk to the individual in charge, or ideally the manager of the company. You would want to speak with them with regards to information about the prospective job like the steps they will undertake when it comes to paving, how long the process will be, and other vital issues that you'd like talk about. This is your chance to obtain information concerning the business and it will make you determine whether this company satisfies your expectations.

Ask for an estimate before starting the task. Almost all businesses will undoubtedly support you with this particular demand. It will most likely help you to know if the budget you allotted for this certain project is good enough.

Ask the company if they provide an all-inclusive service. You won't want to use one company with regard to sidewalks and a totally different one for your driveways or parking lots. With regards to convenience, choose an outfit that can take care of all your needs.

It is extremely necessary to take into consideration the expertise of the asphalt paving company before hiring them. A legit contractor certainly has past projects that they will show off. You can attempt requesting some people who might have been former customers, or have worked with said contractor about how good the end result of their work is.

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We Specialize In Striping For Small Or Large Jobs

Vaca Vet Striping specializes in striping for shopping centers, business complexes, apartments, and private roadways. Whether you have a small job of just two parking stalls or a multi-acre parking facility, Vaca Vet Striping will provide professional and timely work.

Why Seal Coating Asphalt Is Important And Necessary

Asphalt is a useful material that is used for paving driveways, roads, and other areas. It can degrade over time, though, and needs all the protection it can get. This is where seal coating can be very beneficial; it offers asphalt many advantages to prolong its lifespan.

Why Does Asphalt Need Coating?

Asphalt is combined with different types of aggregate and filler. The types of aggregate vary but include gravel, sand, and other types of materials. Asphalt pavement and roads have pretty major weaknesses that cause its lifespan to be rather short. These weaknesses include UV radiation, salt, and various chemicals. When exposed to these things, asphalt can degrade quickly. This special coating seal can be used to help protect asphalt and consequently lengthen its lifespan.

Coating the asphalt should ideally be done before the asphalt suffers any major damage to prevent more problems.

Saving Money

By coating the asphalt, a lot of time and money can be saved. The coating can be redone every few years to continually protect the asphalt. If the asphalt had to deal with wear and tear without the seal, it would have to be replaced. Repaving a road or other area is very time-consuming, expensive work. It is a huge hassle as well. Putting on another coat of sealant is much less intensive work and saves a lot of money in the long run.

UV Radiation Protection

UV radiation is sunlight. Asphalt roads are constantly bombarded by UV radiation several hours each day. This unrelenting light can wear down the asphalt; when the asphalt wears down, the aggregate it holds together starts to loosen and break up.

Sand may start appearing in spots, and eventually the pavement breaks down further, becoming very rough. Dirt, grass, and other debris gets into the spaces of the asphalt and makes a general mess of things.

This requires major work to fix which is why it's best to protect the asphalt from the beginning with a sealing coat. The coat is specially formulated to protect against the harsh, harmful radiation of the sun. The coating can double the lifespan of the asphalt and keep it strong and together.

Chemical Protection

Coating the asphalt with a special seal can help protect it from several potential problems. Whenever there is a gas spill on the road, it can cause damage to the asphalt. This is because asphalt and gas are both petroleum products.

Because they are similar, the gas can dissolve the asphalt and weaken its structure. This significantly softens the asphalt and reduces its strength and lifespan. Using a special sealing coat on the asphalt will help to create a barrier that stops the gas or other petroleum products from reacting with the asphalt and weakening it.

Protection Against Freezing

The sealant also helps protect the asphalt from harsh temperatures. When the weather is cold, it can be a strain on the asphalt because of the fluctuation in temperature as the asphalt freezes and then thaws again. This can damage the asphalt and cause it to crack.

Using a seal coating protects the asphalt from the harsh winter temperatures and helps to prevent major cracking.

In addition to protecting roads and other asphalt surfaces from a host of problems, the coating also helps asphalt to look brand new because it hides imperfections such as rough patches or small cracks.
It is truly very useful and badly needed for high traffic roads and places where constant maintenance would be a huge hassle. Saving money and time helps all parties involved and leaves asphalt roads and pavement strong and resilient.

It may seem like a mundane thing to think about until you have to pay for it! The investment you make as a home owner or a business owner regarding your parking lot or driveway all of a sudden becomes pretty important when you have to get your wallet out. Understand your options and why sealcoating can save you a ton of money!

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Asphalt Paving For Driveways And Parking Lots - The Asphalt Promised Land

STOP! You know it's there. You see it every day when you come into work. You even walk around the crater to get to your front door. It's your parking lot or driveway, and you've been ignoring it every day hoping it will go away. I call it "Asphalt Denial". You don't want to know what needs to be done because you know asphalt paving can cost a lot of money! You might have already had an estimate that put you in cardiac arrest and you buried in the bottom of the "To Do" pile that has been sitting there for 5 years. You might even have been beaten over the head with the "Fix this now or Else Stick" threatening that your parking lot will implode and cause the end of the world. You know you need to do parking lot maintenance, but can't figure out how to get started and finish it without putting you into financial ruin. You're not alone. Many people face this issue every day. I have some suggestions that can get you to the "Asphalt Promised Land".

First, get your estimates. Request quotes that are broken down into sub-sections including asphalt paving, repairs, sealcoating, crack filling and striping with costs associated with each section. This way you can work on a section at a time.

Next, do you paving repairs first. Not fixing potholes can do the most damage to a parking lot or driveway in the shortest amount of time. They can also damage the vehicles that hit them. Typically this is the highest cost in an estimate. If you're on a tight budget, you can do the repairs over several years. Set a budget figure you want to spend, and focus on any repairs in high traffic areas first such as drive lanes or walking areas then move out to low traffic areas like parking stalls. There's a difference between repair and patch. Repair your potholes, don't patch them!. If you repair the holes, the repairs will last 15-20 years.

3rd, get your cracks filled and sealcoating done. This step may happen several years down the road, but it will preserve what you have and what you have been doing the past few years in repairs. Sealcoating is typically a few cents per square foot but makes a difference in the longevity of a parking lot. Sealcoating and striping will spruce up the look of the parking lot as well.

Finally, be patient. This might take several years depending on your cash availability, but will pay off in the long run in preserving your parking lot. Remember, incremental improvements will be better and cheaper than doing nothing. Stick with the plan; keep making progress enen just a little bit. Your lot will look like new very soon.

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Thermo-Plastic Installers - Vaca Vet Striping

The application of linear striping, arrows, stop bars, and handicap insignias, etc. We use a plasticized material that when heated with adhere permanently to asphalt and concrete surfaces.

Vaca Vet Striping has over 30 years experience doing business as ACE Paving Company, with a General Engineering Class A Contractor's License #389714. We strive to provide quality work and great service at an affordable cost. V.V.S. provides services in Solano, Napa, Yolo and Sacramento counties. Our services include city, county, and state roads, highways, airports, commercial parking lots, driveways and racetracks.

Asphalt Driveway Basics: What to Know About Asphalt Driveways

Most of the time, not a lot of thought is often given to what type of driveways homeowners want. There are positives and negatives to each option, but as many people find out, asphalt can be a wonderful driveway option for any customer.

The climate you live in is one of the important things to consider when determining which driveway material is best for your situation. As you travel north in the United States, the prevalence of asphalt driveways increases due to the up and down weather conditions that occur in colder climates. Driveways that spend time in colder climates have different needs and requirements than driveways that do not face a lot of weather adversity. This is because asphalt is a more pliable and flexible material than concrete driveways, which makes it more forgiving in those climates. Also, for people living in snowy areas, the black color of the asphalt can also aid in melting ice and snow faster. Those seemingly small things can make a huge difference in adding on to your driveway's life span.

When time is of the essence, asphalt driveways are a good choice. When done by a professional, they can be done relatively quickly and with out a lot of mess. A new asphalt driveway can usually be installed in a day or two after the sub-grade preparation. This causes fewer problems for the driveway owner. These driveways also be driven on around 24 hours after their installation, making it relatively more convenient than other methods. Less wait time can end up being a forgotten factor when considering driveway options, but it should not be dismissed. With proper installation and care, an asphalt driveway can last up to 20 or 30 years. This lifespan is based on the installation's quality, the type and frequency of driveway maintenance and your region's climate.

Asphalt driveways should be sealed every 3 to 5 years to maintain their quality and prevent deterioration once they are a minimum of 6 months old. It is recommended that a quality commercial grade asphalt sealer does the sealing to ensure the highest quality.

These driveways can be an economical and aesthetically pleasing solution for your driveway needs. They offer a sharp, sleek and clean look for your driveway. If you determine that your climate and location are suitable for installing asphalt driveways, contact a professional to help you assess what your pre-installation check list should include.

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Parking Lot Striping and Maintenance Increases Customer Safety

In business, it is important to always put your best foot forward, and that step can start with fresh parking lot striping. Fresh paint provides a good first impression for arriving customers. Faded and cracked lines, potholes, and crumbling chocks are not only an eyesore, but can also be a safety hazard as well. To ensure customers can park their cars with ease and navigate the car park without any confusion, regular maintenance is crucial.

Clear parking lot striping will not only help visitors navigate easily, but well-planned spacing can also help maximize a small area, squeezing in extra spots for cars so that you don't unintentionally lose business. Most car parks are also required by local regulations to meet certain codes which include a specific number of designated handicap spaces for disabled individuals (how many will depend on the location and size of the area). These will require an extra wide border to be clearly marked, allowing for room to remove wheelchairs or other necessary mobility devices. Codes may also require specific stenciling and marked fire lanes.

If the area is jointly operated by several businesses, it can be helpful to designate specific spots directly in front of doors exclusively to one shop. This is particularly useful for quick-stop stores located next to businesses with longer transactions such as restaurants or movie theaters. Keeping a few spaces free and marked for fifteen minutes or less is another way to keep traffic flowing, turning away fewer customers during peak periods. Spaces can be stencil-painted and bordered in a different color to distinguish it from others.

Proper parking lot striping is also a valuable safety tool that can help you cut back on collisions, slip and falls, or other potential hazards. In addition to keeping the paint fresh and direction arrows clear to improve traffic flow, consider re-paving the entire car park if it is extremely damaged. Large holes and cracks can not only damage vehicles, but people can fall and hurt themselves. And if it happened on your property, you may have a lawsuit on your hands. Smashed chocks are another common problem that is often overlooked. Chocks are the bumpers located between spaces or in front of sidewalks to prevent vehicles from moving too far. Over time, the constant stress from car bumps, or even just a single hard hit can result in them cracking and shifting. The rubble left behind can be dangerous to pedestrians and cyclists.

Parking lot striping professionals generally offer several other benefits in addition to their painting skills. Included in their services are often a cleaning of the area using power washing to lift and blast away long-standing grime, a basic warranty covering unexpected fading or stains for the first few months or longer, and help re-planning the area if needed. Most paints are fast-drying, so you won't have to worry about closing off the area for long. Always choose a company that is licensed, experienced, and fully insured so that you will receive quality work that you can depend on.

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Why It Is Essential To Put Seal Coating On Your Asphalt

There are many benefits to seal coating an asphalt driveway or parking lot. Along with the obvious improvement in appearance that a new, clean surface provides, it protects the asphalt from deterioration.

One of the benefits provided by a new layer of coating is ease of maintenance. Most grime will wash away when it rains. This keeps your driveway looking clean even if you don't go out and scrub it down. During dry spells, just hit it with a hose for the same cleaning effect.

Sealcoating also hides patches, rough areas, small cracks and stains in the underlying asphalt. This makes the driveway or parking lot look much better than it otherwise would. Parking lines and other traffic paint will also stand out more. This is a great benefit for parking lots and commercial driveways.

Coating asphalt protects it from UV rays. The sun's rays normally will increase asphalt's porosity and make it more susceptible to staining and other damage from things like oil and gas spills. By coating it, you help it resist this damage and extend its life.

Finally, coated asphalt is much more water resistant than it otherwise would be. This is very important in climates with a cold winter. Uncoated asphalt can absorb water, which will then freeze and cause cracks when winter comes.

Repairing asphalt can be very expensive. The high price comes from the combination of labor and the cost of the material itself. Asphalt prices change with the cost of oil, so the cost of repairs rise in tandem with oil's march to ever-higher price levels. It is much cheaper to coat a driveway and prevent damage from ever occurring than it is to ignore your driveway and have to fix it later.

Once you've decided to sealcoat your driveway or parking lot, you will need to determine whether you want to do the job yourself or hire a service. Doing the job yourself is cheaper but requires some work. Here is a quick overview of what it takes to do it yourself.

First, the pavement will need to be cleaned. This begins with simple sweeping. You will also need to dig any loose asphalt, gravel or other debris out of the surface. Power washing is likely the easiest way to dislodge the particles. You will also need to cut down any weeds that are growing over or through the surface.

If you used a cleaning method other than power washing, you will now need to scrub the surface with a driveway cleaning solution. This will allow the coating to adhere to the asphalt.

If there are any cracks or potholes, you need to fix them before coating the driveway. Narrow cracks can be filled with semi-liquid filler, while larger ones will need asphalt cold patch. Cold patch is a grainy substance sold in cans or bags.

Potholes will need to be prepared before repair. This generally involves smoothing them out and undercutting the edges to provide a good anchor point for the filler material. Filler can be hot or cold. Most hardware-store fillers will work fine for the light load of a residential driveway.

Actually sealing the asphalt is next. Mix the coating according to the instructions on the package. Then apply it with a rented sprayer or use a pole-mounted trowel to spread it evenly over the surface. Make sure you choose a dry day with no rain predicted so that the coating will have a chance to properly cure.

Of course, there is a much easier way to get seal coating onto your driveway or parking lot: contact a qualified service and watch them do all of this work for you. When they're done, write the check and enjoy looking at the perfect results.

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Vaca Vet Striping Specializes in Parking Lot Striping!

We specialize in striping for shopping centers, business complexes, apartments, and private roadways. Whether you have a small job of just two parking stalls or a multi-acre parking facility, V.V.S. will provide professional and timely work.  Give us a call! 707.592.8331

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