Frequently Asked Questions
Q. HOW OFTEN SHOULD MY PARKING LOT BE SEALED?
A. Your asphalt should be sealed at least every 2 to 3 years. A newly
laid asphalt parking lot should be sealed within 1 year, due to the ever
increasing cost of asphalt. Many businesses now seal every other year.
This has proven to be an excellent approach to avoid expensive repairs
and maintain an aesthetically pleasing drive or parking lot. There are
many factors to consider when deciding how often to seal. How much
traffic the pavement receives, the weather conditions, and what
application
methods were used when applying the sealer, are all things that can
affect
its longevity. Sealcoating Plus can evaluate all of these factors and
recommend a pavement maintenance plan tailored to your needs.
Q. WILL MY LOT BE BARRICADED OFF DURING & AFTER SEALCOATING?
A. The parking lot will be blockaded off using a combination of orange
traffic cones, flagging or yellow caution tape as necessary. All
entrances
will be clearly barricaded.
Q. BEFORE SEALCOATING, WILL MY ASPHALT BE CLEANED?
A. In preparation for sealcoating, all pavement surfaces are cleaned
thoroughly with high power blowers. For dirt covered areas, a wire broom
will be used. If necessary a power broom or sweeper truck will be used
to
remove dirt build-up. Power equipment such as a heat-lance will be used
to remove grass and vegetation from the pavement. Once all dirt, silt,
grass, vegetation, etc. has been removed or loosened, the pavement will
be cleared and blown free with high pressure blowers
Note: Areas severely saturated with petroleum spots cannot be warranted.
Q. HOW IS SEALCOATING APPLIED ?
A. We store materials at our facility and deliver our material to the
job
site in our state of the art tanker trucks. Asphalt sealer can be
applied by
broom or spray methods, depending on the surface and individual needs of
the customer. For more information see our Sealcoating section.
Q. WHEN MY JOB IS SCHEDULED FOR SEALCOATING, WHAT CAN I DO
TO PREPARE?
A. To complete your project we will need access to the entire area to
be sealed. Some jobs we can complete one half at a time per customer
request, depending on project size. Any areas with locked gates, or
fenced in areas we will need a key to or a maintenance person from your
facility there to grant us access. Lawn sprinklers will need to be shut
off
for the duration of the project. We appreciate your cooperation in this
manner, as it provides you and us with the least amount of
inconvenience.
Q. HOW SOON MAY WE DRIVE ON OUR LOT AFTER SEALCOATING?
A. The fresh sealer must remain blockaded and allowed to cure for
approximately 24 hours depending on the weather conditions. In certain
situations more latex modifier can be used for a faster drying
application
that can be driven on sooner. Sometimes immediately following a
sealcoating project some vehicles leave scuffs or "power steering
marks".
This usually happens when a vehicle backs out of a parking stall, stops,
and turns the steering wheel while standing still. These marks wear out
in a week or two and should not require any additional work.
Q. WHAT IS AN "ALLIGATOR AREA"?
A. An alligator area is an isolated area that contains many, many
cracks - also sometimes referred to as a "spider-web" area. There are
many causes for these areas, which usually lead back to a weak sub base
or thin pavement. It is generally recommended that alligator areas be
removed and replaced rather than filled or sealed, although sometimes
budgets do not allow for this kind of expense. As all of our proposals
state,
when we repair cracks with hot rubber, we do so in "non-alligator"
areas,
which means we will do very limited amount of cracks, if any, in those
areas. You simply cannot repair every crack in alligator areas and there
is
no reason to do so.