How Sealcoating Works
This year is expected to bring a harsh winter to the Chicago area, as well as much of the northern United States. Businesses are going to have to take preemptive action if they want to keep their parking lots in good shape – asphalt sealcoating is a great layer of protection for this purpose.
A closer look
Almost all businesses have a parking lot for employees or customers. Asphalt is definitely a porous compound, prone to affect by weather and synthetics. If the asphalt is allowed to remain uncoated, an asphalt covering will soften; this can eventually result in the need for major repair. Chicago sealcoating is a practice by which asphalt emulsion or coal tar emulsion is brushed and sprayed on the asphalt surface. The sealcoat content is generally used in two coats on the entire lot. Extra layers of coating are applied on the high traffic areas, such as the entrance to the parking lot. This extra layer of protection can prevent the need for costly parking lot replacements in the future.
To know how sealcoating is effective, it’s important to know the character of the asphalt pavement itself. Asphalt has been used for many years for roads, drives, and more recently in parking lots. The asphalt paved parking lots worked great, but business owners were in dismay at how often repair was required – which was costing quite a bit of money in the long run. To solve this problem, companies such as Rose Paving have stepped in to offer scientifically-proven protection to the asphalt, which helps keep parking lots in great condition for many years, greatly reducing maintenance costs.
Currently there are two principal kinds of sealcoating options available on the market: One option is produced from refined coal tar and combined with asphalt. Refined coal tar is a byproduct from the coking operation, and is an extremely advanced combination of a large number of chemicals that are fairly different in the molecular structure compared to asphalt. The coal tar compounds are quite durable, and are not susceptible to saturation (which prevents cracks and potholes from forming). Being consistent in molecular structure, these chemicals do not let the damaging aspects of weather and synthetics to attack the asphalt parking lot. Because this method of sealcoating is so effective at preventing weather damage to parking lots, it is the principle form of Chicago sealcoating currently in use.
Many businesses haven’t committed to using Chicago sealcoating, which is why there are so many parking lots in the area that are in disrepair. Over time, the companies will be forced to take the time to repair their parking lots, which will prove expensive and time consuming. If you are a business owner, having your parking lot sealcoated is one of the best business decisions you can make. Not only will your parking lot look and feel nicer (which help your customers have a much more enjoyable visit to your business), but you will save a lot of money in maintenance and repair costs over time.
Putting a fresh sealcoating on your asphalt parking lot can have a huge effect on curb appeal, while also reducing long term expenditure. Check out the best website for Chicago sealcoating.