Cracksealing vs. Sealcoating

Taking care of a paved asphalt surface is an important task, not only because we rely on them so much but also because they’re such a big investment. Whether you’re responsible for a small private lot or a huge, busy parking lot, there are two techniques you can rely on to keep your asphalt surfaces safe and make them last as long as possible. These techniques are sealcoating and crack sealing.

Asphalt Cracking Happens Over Time

Every asphalt surface that someone has ever paved had a time when it was brand new and beautiful. Walking or driving across it then, you would’ve found it hard to imagine that just a few short years could change something so sturdy and smooth into being filled with cracks, crumbling edges, and potholes. But that’s exactly what will happen to paved asphalt surfaces over time.

Asphalt surfaces are essentially a combination of gravel, crushed stone, and sand held together by bitumen, which is a pitch-like form of petroleum that was discovered in natural deposits in ancient times and is often produced in refineries today. This combination of materials makes paved asphalt porous and, therefore, vulnerable to the elements. Two of the biggest culprits that can wear down asphalt are water and sunlight — things we have a lot of in Florida.

What Water Can Do to Asphalt

Water compromises paved asphalt as it moves through it and settles beneath it. We won’t have the same freezing problems that happen in the north, but the water that finds channels through asphalt will still widen those channels, and water that collects below asphalt will disturb the ground that your paved surface sits on. Cracks and potholes will occur where the foundation is weakened or washed away.

What Sunlight Can Do to Asphalt

Sunlight is also hard on paved asphalt surfaces. One of the reasons asphalt works so well is that it has a certain amount of flexibility — when it gets stressed, it can bend instead of break. The UV rays in sunlight oxidize asphalt, which is important while it cures, but after that, it’ll make it brittle and more prone to cracking and crumbling under stress.

These two elements are why sealcoating and crack sealing are such vital parts of maintaining a paved asphalt surface. Sealcoating is a way to prevent the effects of water and sunlight, and crack sealing is a way to respond to those effects.

What Is Sealcoating?

Sealcoating is just what it sounds like — giving your paved asphalt surface a coating that seals out the harmful intrusion of water and can help reduce the harsh effects of sunshine. It also helps guard against other things that can harm paved surfaces, such as chemicals found in spilled cleaners and fuels, as well as plants that can work their way into cracks and break down the edges even further.

Sealcoating can be a big job. Before the sealcoating even begins, your paved surface may need to be cleaned, and some areas may need crack sealing or repair. And when your paved surface is ready, it’ll need to be blocked off while we spread a quality sealcoating evenly across it. Finally, it’ll need to cure for 12-24 hours before it can be used again.

When Should Asphalt Be Sealcoated?

Sealcoating doesn’t need to be done when the asphalt is first laid down because fresh asphalt usually needs six to 12 months to cure. Curing is when oxidation and aging actually help excess oils escape naturally, keeping the asphalt surface from staying too soft and being more prone to damage.

This means that the first sealcoating should be done about one year after initial paving unless you’re sure it has cured earlier than that. After its first application, a quality sealcoating will last a few years depending on various conditions. For example, driveways with little wear and tear usually need sealcoating every three to five years, but parking lots with normal use would most likely need sealcoating every two to three years.

What Is Crack Sealing?

Even a paved asphalt surface that has had regular, high-quality sealcoating can’t avoid having the ground below it shift and settle over time. As that happens, the sinking ground can create low points where water will gather, which can lead to the formation of potholes. And ground that shifts can create lines of stress that often result in cracking.

Sometimes, depressions, ruts, and cracks in your asphalt are the result of things happening above ground. A good example is pavement in front of a large trash dumpster that has an extremely heavy vehicle roll up to the same spot every week and lift very heavy loads.

It’s important to fill wider cracks and seal them against water. To accomplish this, a rubbery material is poured into and along a crack while very hot, which allows it to sink into the crack while also overlapping the edges. With the right equipment, crack sealant can be applied along cracks with precision and will usually be dry enough for use in less than an hour.

When Should Crack Sealant Be Used?

When cracks are left unsealed for too long, they can grow in every possible way — deeper, wider, and longer. They can also be a starting point for even more cracks to develop. The longer you wait, the worse those cracks will get.

A regular inspection of your asphalt surface will let you find cracking and potential problem areas as they develop. If nothing extreme is found, a good rule of thumb is to address developing cracks on a yearly basis. Crack sealing is also an important step when preparing for sealcoating, so timing for this should also be taken into consideration.

Sealcoating regularly, as well as crack sealing when needed, can add decades to the life of your paved asphalt surface. U.S. Pave has been helping home and business owners with this in most parts of Florida for many years. If the time has come for sealcoating or crack sealing your asphalt pavement, contact us right away so we can help you plan how to make that happen with minimal impact on your business. We want only the best for you and your paved surfaces.

Along the Way by Rusty Clark is licensed with CC BY 2.0