5 Big Mistakes Most People Make With Asphalt Sealcoating

5 Big Mistakes Most People Make With Asphalt Sealcoating

If you want your paved surfaces to last, you must invest in regular asphalt sealcoating. Sealcoating is a service that involves applying thin coats of asphalt emulsion sealer across every inch of your pavement. Once cured, the asphalt sealer forms a protective barrier to safeguard your paving against rain, shine, vehicle fluids and more. While it seems simple enough, it’s easier to make common asphalt sealcoating mistakes than you might think!

Here’s a breakdown of five common asphalt sealcoating mistakes and how to avoid them.

What Asphalt Sealcoating Mistakes Do People Make When They Take a DIY Approach?

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is attempting to DIY asphalt sealcoating. Many DIY products exist, and some property owners think they can reduce overall asphalt sealcoating costs by handling the job themselves. The problem is that most end up doing things wrong!

Always hire a professional contractor for this job. Contractors use higher-quality asphalt sealers. Furthermore, they know how to do the job correctly without cutting corners. Many people will try to speed things up by applying a thicker coat or try to decrease asphalt sealcoating cost by skimping on surface prep. Those costly mistakes negatively impact protection and create more problems than they’re worth.

Does Inclement Weather Affect Asphalt Sealer?

Sealcoating must occur when the weather is warm and dry. Never attempt to seal asphalt during the winter. Most asphalt sealers need air and ground temperatures to be at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit to cure. Otherwise, they won’t bond to the asphalt.

Similar issues occur when it rains, or the humidity levels are too high. Even strong winds can be problematic. Skilled contractors will pay attention to the weather, ensuring optimal conditions for asphalt sealant during application and curing.

Can Asphalt Sealer Do Double-Duty as a Crack Filler?

Asphalt sealant is not crack filler. While the transformation is huge, asphalt sealing isn’t a catch-all solution to all your pavement problems. Contractors must perform patches and repairs before they do asphalt sealcoating. While the sealer can fill hairline cracks, it won’t fix issues requiring extensive repairs.

Always schedule repairs first. Asphalt sealcoating after repairs will give you a smooth, like-new appearance while allowing patches, crack filler and other compounds to improve durability below.

Is There Any Preparation Work Involved with Asphalt Sealing?

Another common asphalt sealcoating mistake is a lack of surface preparation. Inexperienced DIYers will skimp on surface prep to reduce overall asphalt sealcoating costs. However, they quickly find that skipping that crucial step causes more headaches.

Asphalt sealer will only bond to asphalt if it’s free of vegetation, dirt and grime. Therefore, skilled contractors will take the necessary time to ensure your asphalt is clean and dry. They may use wire brushes to remove debris from voids, power-wash the pavement to remove caked-on grime and pre-treat areas affected by vehicle fluids.

What Asphalt Sealcoating Mistakes Occur Due to Improper Curing?

Asphalt sealant needs between 24 and 48 hours to fully cure. Most products are dry within a few hours after asphalt sealing. However, you must keep vehicles and pedestrians off your sealed surfaces until the products cure fully. Otherwise, you’ll deal with tracking imprints, peeling and a huge mess!

Keep surfaces blocked off until your contractor gives you the OK to allow traffic to resume.

Affordable Striping & Sealing is a proud provider of sealcoating services in the Las Vegas area. We’ve been in business for nearly two decades, using our skills to deliver results that property owners can count on. We offer many pavement maintenance services, including sealcoating, crack repair, striping, parking lot layout design, road markings, signs and more.

We’re committed to your satisfaction. Our team works hard to give you the attention and service you deserve while maintaining exemplary standards of excellence for every project we complete.

Call Affordable Striping & Sealing at (702)222-9009 for a free project quote. Our team is also available via email at vegas@affordablestriping.com. You can also use our online contact form to submit your information, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible to discuss your project.