Good Practices From a Professional Sealcoating Contractor

Sealcoating an asphalt pavement is an extremely cost-effective way to prevent damage that could result in expensive repairs or the premature failure of the pavement. In addition to its protective abilities, sealcoating can also make the pavement’s surface appear smoother and darker in color. However, you will need to hire a trustworthy sealcoating contractor to ensure that your pavement benefits from the procedure. Reputable contractors will follow the best practices when planning, preparing, and executing a sealcoating project.

What Are the Best Practices a Sealcoating Contractor Should Follow When Planning a Project?

Because there can be significant differences between asphalt sealing projects, contractors typically follow certain steps during the planning stage.

1. Sealcoating contractors need to know the details that will be involved in each specific project. Therefore, a sealcoating company representative will visit the site. This could be the actual contractor or a highly trained estimator. The representative will seek to answer a number of questions. What is the pavement’s square footage? How complex is the parking lot layout? What repairs will need to be completed prior to applying the asphalt paving lot sealcoating? Is this a parking lot reseal or an initial application?
2. Contractors also ask customers for their input. Does the asphalt sealing need to take place on a certain day to minimize disruptions? Does the customer want the asphalt sealcoating company to also apply the striping and marking? If there are areas of the pavement that are secured behind a fence, who will unlock the gate for the contractor on the day of the job? Does the customer prefer any particular brand or type of asphalt paving lot sealcoating?

What Best Practices Should Sealcoating Contractors Follow During the Preparation Stage?

The type, age, and condition of a pavement are all important factors in the precise steps that an asphalt sealcoating company will follow to prepare for a job. Therefore, when sealcoating parking lot pavements, may omit certain steps because they do not apply to a specific pavement,

1. The contractor will allocate resources to ensure they are available. Personnel, products, tools, and equipment are assigned to the job in advance to avoid scheduling conflicts.
2. If the pavement needs a great many repairs, the sealcoating company may choose to perform them before the date scheduled for the asphalt sealing.
3. In the days leading up to the job, contractors keep a close eye on the weather forecasts. Rain must not fall during the application or the curing process, and the temperature must not be too cool for sealcoating. Although contractors can sealcoat in hot weather, they sometimes need to take additional steps to avoid flash drying.
4. The contractor will follow the recipe that the sealcoating manufacturer provided for preparing the mix. A reputable sealcoating company will precisely measure each ingredient. Contractors should never increase the amount of water in the mix, and they will always include the proper amount of an aggregate.
5. The contractor will review the parking lot layout to determine the starting and ending points for the application. When sealcoating parking lot pavements of a substantial size, contractors often divide it into sections. Each section can be completed and reopened, ensuring that the customer has part of the lot available at all times. If this is to be done, the contractor will decide the location of each section and the order in which the sections will be worked.

What Does a Sealcoating Contractor Do During the Execution Phase of a Job?

On the morning of the job, contractors typically meet with the crew members who will be performing the work. They review the job specifics, including the steps that employees must take to ensure a safe work site. They then transport the products, tools, equipment, and workers to the site.

1. Upon arriving at the site, crew members erect the proper traffic control devices to prevent people or vehicles from intruding. Depending on the site, these devices could include caution tape, barrels, signs, barricades, or a combination of most or all of them.
2. Workers will clean the pavement, removing all debris to ensure that there are no unidentified cracks.
3. If not done during the planning stage, all significant cracks will be repaired.
4. If necessary, the pavement will be cleaned again to ensure that there are no contaminants that could prevent the sealcoating from adhering to the pavement.
5. It is sometimes necessary to apply a primer over oil stains or other troublesome areas. If a primer is required, it will be applied at this point.
6. A sealcoating company should never attempt to achieve the proper sealant thickness in a single pass. Instead, thin coats should be applied, with each given time to dry before the next is applied. When sealcoating parking lot pavements, two coats are typically required. However, on some projects, a third coat may be needed in areas that experience excessive wear.
7. If the asphalt sealing and parking lot striping services are provided by the same contractor, the striping can begin as soon as the last coat of sealant has dried.
8. The sealcoating company will leave its traffic control devices in place until it is time to open the pavement. Many times, pedestrians can be granted access within six hours, but vehicles should not be allowed on the pavement for 12 to 24 hours. The asphalt sealcoating company will return to retrieve its devices.

For superior work at affordable rates, contact Affordable Striping & Sealing. We offer parking lot striping, asphalt sealcoating, parking lot layout, and asphalt crack repair services. We also offer road markings, traffic sign installation, parking lot maintenance, and public works services. We have an unmatched reputation for the high quality of our work, our exemplary customer service, and our professionalism. You can request a free quote by filling out our online form, emailing Vegas@AffordableStriping.com, or calling 702-222-9009.