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 seal coating and crack sealing. The key to our quality seal coating and crack sealing is preparation and using superior products in the application.
Seal Coat 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 Seal Coating will more than double the life of the asphalt, resulting in significant savings. Seal Coating every two to three years will prevent oxidation, weather damage and will beautify your pavement.
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 sealing involves applying hot sealant to 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.
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 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.
From parking lots to custom steel structures, TARC is your go-to for timely, expert construction. Let’s build something that lasts.
