Is It Time for Seal Coating At Your Business?

When an asphalt driveway or parking lot starts to show signs of deterioration, your customers are bound to notice. They’ll see cracks and uneven surfaces, or worse, they’ll drive over or trip on a pothole. These visible signs are obvious indications that your parking lot requires repair. But just because there’s no damage on the surface of your asphalt, you shouldn’t assume that your parking lot or driveway doesn’t need maintenance. On the contrary, asphalt starts to oxidize almost immediately when it’s laid down. As oxygen interacts with the molecules in asphalt, it makes the material increasingly brittle. This chemical process, combined with oil, sunlight, precipitation, salt, and other factors, means your asphalt is becoming more vulnerable to damage every day.  So even your asphalt looks like it’s holding up well, it may be time for maintenance, such as commercial seal coating available in Montgomery County, PA from Superior Seal Coating. 

How soon after asphalt is laid should it be sealed?

Waiting a year before sealing is best for your new commercial parking lot. This will give the asphalt the time it needs to harden, without waiting too long for the oxidation process to weaken the asphalt. After seal coating, the asphalt will be better protected from oxidation and other factors that can shorten the life of your newly installed asphalt.  

How often do you need to seal an asphalt driveway?

After the initial sealing, we recommend seal coating every three to five years. Waiting any longer than that makes your asphalt dangerously susceptible to potholes and other kinds of damage that seal coating can’t fix. Getting seal coating too often is not only a waste of time, money, and resources; it’s also bad for the asphalt. For example, if you get seal coating two years in a row, you’ll be adding a layer of sealer on top of the relatively new existing layer of sealer. This will cause sealer build-up, which can cause the top layer to crack and peel off. For a summary, watch this quick video:  If your driveway or parking lot is due or overdue for seal coating, contact Superior Seal Coating, the leading provider of commercial seal coating and asphalt maintenance in Bucks County, PA.