Preventative Asphalt Maintenance
Other Services – Asphalt Repair – Concrete – Striping – Steel
Like anything worth keeping for the long term, an asphalt parking lot or driveway is an important component of your property investment. Asphalt pavements are subject to deterioration due to water and sunlight. Ignoring the signs of wear and tear can lead to pavement failures and more costly repairs.
Proactively protect your investment by working closely with your pavement specialist. Keep an eye out for early signs of water intrusion, softening of subbase and oxidation of pavement.
The primary methods of protecting this valuable investment is sealcoating and crack sealing. The key to our quality sealcoating and crack sealing is preparation and using superior products in the application.
Our Maintenance Services
Seal Coat
Sealcoat or pavement sealer is a liquid coating mixture that allows pavement to stay flexible for as long as possible by protecting the binder (liquid asphalt) that holds the pavement together. Sealer is only as good as the asphalt pavement which it is applied to. It is not intended to fill cracks or level the surface. It is a layer of protection, blocking out the elements: water, oils and UV damage. Regularly scheduled sealcoating will more than double the life of the asphalt, resulting in significant savings. Sealcoating every two to three years will prevent oxidation, weather damage and will beautify your pavement.
Sealcoat Conditions Matter
- A minimum of two coats should be applied
- Temperatures must be a minimum of 50 degrees and rising over 24 hours
- Do not apply if rain is imminent within the 24-hour period
- Allow sealcoat to cure for 24 hours before letting vehicles on the surface
Crack Fill
There are two important reasons for maintaining and repairing cracks. The first is to prevent moisture from penetrating beneath the asphalt’s surface, which will cause more damage to your driveway or parking lot.
The second reason you should fill cracks in your asphalt is to stop weeds from taking root. Plant growth can push the pavement up and create more damage. Breaks in the pavement will almost always create a spot that can get larger, which will allow water to seep under the asphalt surface and cause potholes.
Crack Filling vs. Crack Sealing
Crack sealing involves applying hot sealant to working cracks.
What are working cracks?
Cracks greater than 0.1 inches with horizontal and/or vertical movement are known as working cracks. An example of a working crack is a transverse crack. Transverse cracks are usually the first to appear in pavement surfaces, but other types of cracks can develop at the same time. Crack filling is the placement of asphalt emulsion into non-working cracks to reduce water infiltration and to reinforce the adjacent pavement.
What are non-working cracks?
Cracks less than 0.1 inches with horizontal and/or vertical movements are known as non-working cracks. Examples of non-working cracks include longitudinal, diagonal and alligator cracks. In contrast to crack sealing, crack filling treats pavement that doesn’t show significant movement.
Grading
Grading of land means to cut dirt from a high spot and fill in a low spot as when grading and leveling of dirt is removed from high points and placed in low places making a level area, this type of grading is known as “cut and fill.”
Grading is used by construction contractors to level soil or material for use as a parking lot base, driveway base and subgrade base.
7 Types of Cracks
Transverse Cracks
- Caused by thermal shifts, these are the first to appear
- The crack extends in a perpendicular fashion to the centerline or laydown direction of the pavement
Longitudinal Cracks
- Caused by poor lane join construction, pavement shrinkage, hardening of the asphalt and shifts in temperature
- Longitudinal cracks run parallel to the centerline or laydown direction of the pavement and appear later than transverse cracks.
Edge cracks
- Caused by seasonal thaw cycles that result in widening and deepening of the crack
- Edge cracks develop between the edge of the pavement and concrete curbs
Seam Cracks
- Caused by poor paving procedures
- Seam cracks develop along joints of pavement
Block Cracks
- Caused by improper construction of base courses or lack of drainage
- Block cracks develop in square pieces, are spaced between 4 to 12 feet and often appear at the end of the pavement’s life
Reflective Cracks
- Caused by changes in the movement of the subbase, which causes the surface material to crack
- Correcting subbase courses can help eliminate reflective cracks
Alligator Cracking
- Caused by deterioration in the asphalt from repeated traffic loading
- Alligator cracking is a series of interconnecting cracks that are extensive, close together and resemble an alligator’s skin