Seal Coating

Most basicasphalttoday is derived from crude oil, or more succinctly, bitumen, which is the material left after the process of refining gasoline, kerosene, and naptha from the crude oil and then mixed with other compounds.Asphalts, although highly complex, are not well characterized. The life span ofasphaltdepends on a lot of factors including base/aggregate materials, temperatures, moisture, and aging. As these different factors start to show their affects on theasphaltsthe first signs are changes in color, from black to a light gray and then they it begins to crack and crumble.Asphaltsare used on roads,parking lots, andblacktop paved drivewaysand constitute a huge expense to private business and homeowners. Business owners, and homeowners, that havepaved parking lotsorpaveddriveways, can save hundreds and even thousands of dollars by extending the life of theasphaltfrom 10 to up to 25 years! The way to accomplish this issealcoating.

SealcoatingorSeal Coatingputs a protective coating overasphaltsand effectively seals it from most of the affects that break it down. There are two main types ofseal coatingmaterial, one is made from asphalt and the other from refined coal tar. Refined coal tar sealcoatings, or C.T.P.E. or Coal Tar Pitch Emulsions were introduced in the 1950’s and are the primary choice today. More recentlyasphalt emulsion based coatingswere introduced and are used with great successes.Asphalt emulsion sealcoatsare usually preferred by mostsealcoat providersbecause they are more “user-friendly” than thecoal tar seal coatingsbecause they are practically odorless, and they don’t burn or irritate skin.

Seal coatingis a very important step, not only for long term maintenance, but also for those businesses needingline stripingfor theirparking lots.Seal coatingprotects and preparesasphaltsurfaces with the proper “foundation” for the best possible results whenline striping.