Wednesday, April 20, 2016

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!


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Greg_Newell

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7129609

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