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07 February 2013

Let A Primed Southwest Florida Seal Coating Contractor Help Preserve The Quality Of Your Pavements

By Alyce Larson


Sealcoat consist of products, which are excellent in waterproofing, and it will help prevent water from getting in contact with asphalt. When you sealcoat your drives and parking lots with help of a revered southwest Florida seal coating contractor, you are able to preserve the quality of pavement. Asphalt pavement can deteriorate fast if it is not protected. The natural oxidation process of asphalt is altered by environmental factors like sun.

When ultraviolet rays heat asphaltic material direct, they increase the rate at which it oxidizes. This results to deterioration of asphalt that develops cracks. To prevent asphalt from drying out and becoming brittle, it needs to be covered with a sealcoat. Other conditions like presence of oils and transmission fluids also accelerate oxidizing process of asphaltic surfaces causing premature failures.

Considering the cost of constructing roads and parking lots, it is important that they be maintained in good conditions. Asphaltic surfaces, which are covered with sealcoats, last for long and do not require frequent repairs. When the sun heats asphalt paving material, it bakes it to a point where it becomes rigid and cannot expand or contract easily.

Initially when you construct a parking lot or driveway, it will expand and contract easily. As time goes on, the asphaltic material loses its elasticity and starts being rigid. This is the time you will see fine hairline cracks developing. The asphalt will change color and become gray. The weatherproofing property of sealants makes them essential coats for the delicate asphaltic surface.

When cracks develop in a pavement, water finds its way to sub base. The result can be devastating because water loosens up the aggregate materials making it unstable. When heavy loads turn over the roads, the pavement crumbles leading to formation of potholes. The potholed surfaces are very costly to repair.

With extensive potholes or alligatored cracks, it may require complete removal and replacement of asphalt. However, these are repairs, which can be prevented by using sealcoats. The use of sealcoats should not be relied upon to prevent water from penetrating in existing cracks. What this means is that if there are cracks, they have to be repaired before a sealcoat is applied.

The asphalt pavement that you see on roads and drives is only the roof of the entire paving material. That roof covers a bed of graded aggregate stones that varies in depth depending on how the construction was done. The pavement should offer firm resilient surface, which offers a roof over the aggregate base and keeps the pavement bed dry. Water should not be allowed to penetrate and settle at the bed.

A new asphaltic pavement needs to be given enough time to cure naturally. It may take a couple of months. When applying a sealcoat, various films or thick layers may be opted rather than one thick layer. The thin films allow the sealcoat to cure and dry properly and fast. In short, you need to consult a reputable southwest Florida seal coating contractor to apply a sealcoat on asphaltic surface of your parking lots and drives. This will protect them and preserve their jet-black color and elasticity property.




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