How Sealcoating Prevents Damages on Asphaltic Pavements

Sealcoats provide a protective barrier on asphaltic pavements, which allows the asphalt material to oxidize slowly. The sealcoating prevents ultraviolet rays from directly reaching and heating the blacktop. When ultraviolet rays directly heat the asphalt material, they accelerate the natural or normal oxidizing process meaning that the pavements dry up and harden too fast than expected. This results to premature damages of roads and parking lots since fine hairline cracks start forming. 

"Sealcoating preserves the blacktop"

A sealcoat provides a membrane cover, which bars the ultraviolet rays from directly baking the asphalt material. When cracks are formed due to effects caused by ultraviolet rays, they allow water to penetrate and settle at the subgrade layer of roads and parking lots. Water causes more harm to the aggregate base, which is the building block for your roads. The base of roads supports the pavement layer and the loads that turns over the roads.

Water loosens the aggregate material and thus makes it start crumbling down. In addition, when water remains in the cracks, during the winter condition, it may freeze. As it freezes, the water expands and it enlarges the cracks in areas where is has collected. After the cold season, that frozen water melts down through the process of thawing and the enlarged cracks are left as empty spaces or voids.

What happens is that the material, which is on top of the void, that is, the asphalt pavement material, collapses and fills the empty space. This leads to formation of potholes in roads and parking lots. One thing with potholes and extensive deep cracks is that they are costly to repair. When sealcoats are applied in the right time, they prevent the speedy drying or oxidation of asphalt material. Sealcoats help improve the elasticity of asphalt pavements ensuring that they easily expand when heated and contract when cooled. This way, cracking is minimized.

Chemical substances like gasoline, de-icing salts, oil spillage, and transmission fluids also accelerate the oxidizing process in asphalt material. When a sealcoat is applied, it helps prevent these chemicals from coming into direct contact with the asphaltic pavement thus preventing premature damages.

In short, the oxidation process of asphalt is a complex molecular behavior, which can help understand how asphalt pavements are affected or damaged by factors like sunlight, water, snow, de-icing salts, oils, gasoline, and transmission fluids. A pavement, which is treated with use of sealcoats, can last for long thus helping prevent unnecessary expenses associated with premature damages on asphalt pavements.

When is sealcoating done?
Sealcoating is done regularly as part of the maintenance process of asphalt pavements. When a new pavement is constructed, it should be allowed to cure or dry the surface oils before a sealcoat is applied. This may take a couple of months depending on the viscosity of the asphalt and how fast it dries up. If the sealcoat is applied before the asphaltic blacktop cures properly, the coating may not fasten or bond well with the asphalt material.

After the first coating is done, other coats are applied in a period of about 2 to 5 years. This is a continuous process, which should be undertaken periodically until the end of the life of the pavements. When you notice that the color of your asphaltic pavements has changed from dark black to gray, you need to ensure that you sealcoat your drives, parking lots, and road surfaces to prevent further damages from occurring due to accelerated oxidation.