Protect Your Asphalt and Look Good Doing It.
Why Sealcoat?
Your asphalt surfaces take a constant beating from daily traffic, gasoline and oil leaks, rain and snow, and the brutal Minnesota freeze thaw cycles. The sun creates a dramatically harmful effect on asphalt by increasing the rate of oxidation through its’ UV rays and creating a weak and brittle surface. All of these conditions can aggressively break down the chemical bonds in your asphalt.
This is why Sealcoating is a HUGE benefit to the longevity of your asphalt surfaces and dramatically reduces these harmful effects. When the product is correctly mixed and applied, its acts as a barrier over the asphalt surface preventing harmful damage. This is a preventative measure and should be applied every 2-4 years depending on traffic levels and age of asphalt.
There are important steps to provide a beautiful looking, long lasting sealcoat. At Duramax we pride ourselves in making sure each step is correctly completed to ensure that beautiful sealcoat finish - Everytime!
Priming Oil Spots
It is important to prime all oil spots with a special asphalt priming product prior to applying sealcoat product. The primer provides an effective protective layer keeping the oil contaminant from coming up through the cured sealcoat finish. If not addressed, over time the oil spots will soak into the asphalt wear surface softening the binders and creating a weak surface that will ravel and be exposed to water invasion into the sub-base. It is a good practice to address oil spots early before they become damaging to your asphalt surface. A simple solution is to use warm water and detergent and give area a good scrubbing. If oil spots become too severe the only long-term solution is to remove and replace area with new asphalt.
Cleaning Process
The biggest part of a long-lasting good sealcoat is how well the surfaces are cleaned. Sealcoat will stick to the first thing it touches. If there are areas with fine dust and dirt that are not cleaned with a wire brush or an abrasive cleaning machine, these areas will fail very quickly. We focus extra cleaning attention to areas such as low spots (bird baths), high traffic areas, and catch basins and manhole covers. These areas are susceptible to more embedded dirt and dust due to water flow and high traffic rates. We also ensure curbs and gutters are blown cleaned and all vegetation is trimmed back to eliminate any contamination during sealcoat application and it provides a clean aesthetic finish. A DETAILED cleaning is the foundation to a LONG-LASTING sealcoat.
Detail Edging
An important step in our sealcoat process is completing a detailed brushed edging of the entire perimeter. This ensures that no over-spray of sealer occurs on any concrete surfaces or curbs. This step can be time consuming but it emphasizes our attention to detail and providing a clean, beautiful sealcoat finish. Before this step is completed we make sure all pending weather is taken into consideration. We will assess rain and overcast conditions before any sealer is applied and will communicate concerning scheduling.
Sealer Application
Once all edging is completed we apply the sealcoat product with a spray wand or spray rig depending on size of job. We apply a light first coat and we allow adequate dry time before the second coat application. We apply a thicker second coat to ensure all areas have enough coverage and an even finish. Once both coats are applied, we will keep up cones, tape and barricades for the duration of the cure time. Manufactures recommendation for cure time is 24-48hours. We highly recommend at least 24 hours of cure time.
The Beautiful Finish
Your parking lot surface is preserved and looks great! It is a great first impression to your customers and provides the message of professionalism and attention to details. The sealcoat product goes right to work protecting your asphalt surface from oxidation by UV rays, traffic flow wear and tear, oil, gasoline and salt deterioration. Along with a fresh sealcoat, we complete a new striping layout to provide maximum usability of your parking lot and to ensure all ADA compliances are met. When all steps are completed correctly and the seal coat product has the proper mix designs, your parking lot will have a beautiful, protective coating that will last 2-3 years.
The Long-Term Benefits
To achieve that beautiful finish is one thing, it’s another to provide a long-term beneficial product. We distribute and apply the best product in the sealcoating business. This is done by only selling and applying a sealer with the correct amount of water and sand. This provides the correct mix design every time. The sand additive is designed to improve traction, skid resistance and longevity. It also blends minor surface defects and provides a repair of hairline cracks. The sand gives the sealer a uniform textured appearance, reduction of sun glare and a streak-free finish. Adding the correct amount of water is important to a balanced mix design. Water is added to provide proper fluidity to the sealer. This will provide the right flow and leveling characteristics to evenly spread the sealer over the pavement surface.