When sealcoating, how many coats are necessary?

No two sealcoating projects are identical with parking lot maintenance!  Determining how many coats of sealant will be needed requires evaluating the condition of the asphalt and the traffic the surface must withstand. As a general rule, however, a surface that receives only light traffic and does not need to bear heavy weights, such as a residential driveway, can usually be adequately protected with a single coat. Parking lot maintenance for a shopping center or office building will normally need two coats, and it may be necessary to apply a third coat to part of the surface, such as drop-off lanes or entrances.

Customers sometimes wonder why it is necessary to apply multiple coats rather than a single thick coat. It is the same principle that requires house painters to use multiple coats of paint to provide full coverage for problem areas or achieve a richer color. Thick layers cannot dry properly. Whether it is paint or asphalt sealer, moisture trapped beneath the top coat can undermine the effectiveness of the product. Each coat must be allowed to dry before another coat is applied, and the top coat must be allowed to dry before traffic is allowed onto the surface.

In addition to the traffic patterns, the condition of the surface must be considered when determining the number of coats needed. Some asphalt surfaces can become porous, meaning that they will absorb more of the sealant and may do so unevenly. Therefore, it is sometimes necessary to apply a second coat to residential driveways or other low traffic areas to compensate.  The key to understanding asphalt maintenance in knowing what is needed for each project.

The team at Affordable Striping & Sealing are “asphalt experts” who can advise you on all of your paving needs, including sealcoating. We offer a full range of asphalt maintenance and repair services to customers in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. You can request a free quote on our website, or call us at 702-222-9009.