When to Seal coat, Repave, or Resurface Your Asphalt Driveway

When it comes to old, ragged asphalt driveways and parking, property managers, commercial real estate owners, and even landlords of single-family homes think about the same concerns: Do we repave or seal coats after performing repairs, cracks, potholes, and nooks? What is the most cost-effective option for driveway resurfacing Dover DE?

The industry has discussed this problem for decades, and what has been understood is that each option has enduring, impressive effects and that they fill out one another. 

That's the information pavement upkeep contractors require to deliver to their customers who are struggling to decide which pavement maintenance selection best suits their requirements and property.

 

1. Sealing

Sealcoating is vital to protecting an owner's efforts in an asphalt driveway or parking lot. Sealers contain emulsions that blend asphalt or refined coal tar with clays, mineral fillings, and water. 

Once applied, the water evaporates, and the emulsion solidifies to form a shielding coat. It also comes to be a gorgeous black surface that enhances curb appeal, giving a single-family house, multi-family property, or commercial or industrial facility a classical look. 

Industry specialists acknowledge that driveways or parking lots requiring the sealer can typically last only five to six years before the beginning stages of breakdown.

 

• How Often

Apply sealant after the duration of three to five years. If you've newly installed a fresh driveway, wait at least 90 days to a year to assure the sealant doesn't hurt the asphalt. Seal coating a new driveway too quickly may capture oils within the asphalt, evolving in a too delicate or flexible driveway.

Sealcoat your asphalt driveway when the temperature is around 50–90°F. Only apply a sealant when you possess two consecutive days without rain. Dry climates assure proper adhesion to the prevailing asphalt.

Pavement upkeep starts by filling cracks, patching damaged spots, and tidying (and probably priming) oil-saturated areas on the pavement ground. The asphalt also must be cleared of dirt and residue before the sealer can be applied.

While some homeowners prefer to seal coat their driveways themselves. professionals apply high-quality sealer stuff and have professional tools such as crack cleaners and power blowers that often facilitate them to conduct a longer-lasting, high-quality job. 

Also, professional contractors can deal with other pavement improvements that a homeowner won't be familiar with, so property managers at any grade will be adequately satisfied by engaging a pavement maintenance expert to address their pavement.

 

• Repaving

Repaving is the only solution for driveways or parking lots with drastic deterioration, deep, broad cracks, receded depressions, and several potholes. An asphalt overlay contains a compacted coating of one-and-a-half to two inches of hot blend asphalt being set over the existing asphalt, almost granting the driveway a new covering. 

Just like seal coating, the first job is the restoration of an existing pavement. Spots, where the pavement surface has collapsed, indicate the stone foundation's downfall supporting the pavement. 

These spaces need digging out the standing asphalt and mending the stone footing with new material before fixing up with asphalt mix to curb the problem from returning after repaving. 

Then an overlay is positioned over the existing surface. No seal coating should apply for six months to a year, just like any newly built pavement. 

 

• How Often

Realizing when to resurface your asphalt driveway leans on a few aspects. Resurface your asphalt driveway if:

 

• The foundation is still useful

• The asphalt is not more than 20 years old

• Cracks are minor than a quarter-inch wide

• Cracks are not more than two inches deep

• Less than 30% of the asphalt requires repairs

Keep in mind that fix-ups are temporary. Ultimately, water penetrates between the old and new substance. When this occurs, cracks appear again. If you're patching and mending frequently and the basis is still structurally sound, it's time to resurface your driveway.

The upside to inducting an overlay is the pavement has a rebuilt wearing course, giving a pliable, adaptable surface. After the overlay, the sustenance project can start over, providing an almost brand new drive or lot. However, severe weather, heavy burdens, and shortcuts could steer to premature wear and failure during formation. 

The downside of repaving is that it is costly (generally thousands of dollars more than sealing). Besides, if the primary asphalt isn't appropriately cleaned and prepared, cracks and unequal sections may return, as well as other issues that may not have formerly existed, such as detachment of the overlay because of lousy adhesion to the former pavement.

 

Conclusion

The quantity and frequency of repaving will vary from climate to climate, and even when the asphalt is appropriately protected, an asphalt overlay will be required after every 20 to 25 years. 

Regardless of whether you like to repave or mend, seal coating is one of the most significant factors of any pavement maintenance step. It conserves asphalt from worn and degradation and enhances pavement life.

Without sealer, the asphalt could need an overlay in as little as five to six years, going for thousands of dollars. When comparing expenses, industry professionals acknowledge the best investment a homeowner or commercial property owner can make is hiring a commercial paving contractor Dover DE for a well-tailored maintenance program.