Sealcoating is More Than Just Looks

Beauty may only be skin deep, but a nice-looking sealcoat job for your home’s driveway or business’ parking lot is more than just a matter of appearances. A good sealcoating protects the asphalt and will save you thousands of dollars over time!

Saving money is certainly a good reason as to why sealcoating is important, but let’s break this down a bit and look at the role a sealcoat plays in protecting your property investment.

A good starting point is with the simple fact that asphalt isn’t quite as durable as most people think. Of course, asphalt is durable—which is why we use it for our roads, parking lots, and driveways—it’s just not indestructible. (This is the reason we provide asphalt repair services, after all.)

Given the hardness of asphalt, what can possibly damage it? Well, sun and water have a greater impact on paved surfaces than you might imagine. The sun causes oxidization, which dries out the binders in the asphalt. This causes the binders to flake and chip away, thus exposing the next layer of binders. In turn, that layer becomes oxidized, and the process continues to repeat. Eventually, the paved surface will deteriorate to the point it completely fails.

The damage cycle from oxidization can also contribute to water damage. A major problem for paved surfaces like driveways and parking lots is water infiltration. It only takes tiny cracks to allow water beneath the surface. This is a problem anywhere, but especially in northern states like ours (where winter and the “freeze/thaw” cycles it brings absolutely destroy pavement).

As a related note to our West Michigan winters, an advantage to sealcoating is the fact that the black color absorbs heat, which leads to faster melting of snow. So a fresh sealcoating job in the summer can spare your back from a lot soreness if you shovel your driveway in the winter!

Going back to the sun and water, though, sealcoating is important for your paved surfaces because it protects the asphalt from both. It shields the paving from the ultraviolet rays responsible for the binding deterioration, while at the same time preventing water (and ice in the winter) from getting under the pavement and causing it to crumble from within.

Sealcoating protects your property from the elements, but let’s get back to that “beauty is only skin deep” saying – a fresh sealcoat is aesthetically-pleasing. It shows off your home or building, makes the landscaping look better, and is simply more appealing for visitors and customers. Plus, the new striping on your business’ parking lot will really stand out.

If you need us to repair a surface that hadn’t been coated, we can absolutely do that for you. If you’d rather save some money and sealcoat your lot or driveway first, we can do that for you as well. No matter what your asphalt service needs are, we provide them!

Call Stripe A Lot today at 1-800-BLACKTOP (or 616-772-2559) for your FREE ESTIMATE!