If you are responsible for the health of an asphalt pavement, you may have heard that routine applications of a quality sealcoat are highly recommended. However, you may have also heard several myths about asphalt sealcoating. Most of these myths revolve around sealcoating’s cost, purpose, and inconvenience.
What Are Some Myths About the Cost of Asphalt Sealcoating?
The most common myth about cost is that parking lot sealcoating is expensive. Although the actual price will depend on a number of factors, sealcoating in Chicago is usually much less than $0.50 per square foot. In most cases, the price per square foot for asphalt patching, crack sealing, asphalt resurfacing, or asphalt paving will be significantly more. This makes Chicago asphalt sealcoating an extremely cost-effective procedure that can help you increase the return on your investment in asphalt paving. Another common myth is that you should hire the sealcoating company that submits the lowest bid. Not every company offering to sealcoat a paving lot plans to use high-quality products. Furthermore, some companies will not follow the manufacturer’s instructions for preparing and applying the mix, leading to a short-lived job. Other Chicago asphalt sealcoating contractors do not carry workers’ compensation or business liability insurance, and this increases your potential financial risks.
What Are Some Myths About the Purpose of Asphalt Sealcoating?
Sealcoating is a multipurpose product that delivers several benefits, but it is not a magic elixir that can solve every problem with your asphalt pavement.
1. Myth: Parking lot sealcoating is nothing more than a beauty treatment.
Truth: Sealcoating in Chicago can return a faded pavement to its original luxurious color, make the pavement appear more even, and conceal minor imperfections. However, the true purpose of sealcoating is to protect asphalt pavements from damage from ultraviolet radiation, corrosive chemicals, water penetration, automotive fluids, and abrasive particles.
2. Myth: There is no need to repair cracks before you sealcoat a paving lot.
Truth: Your contractor must repair any significant breaks in the pavement before applying parking lot sealcoating. Sealcoating is a liquid when it is applied, so it will simply drain into any openings and be wasted.
3. Myth: Chicago sealcoating is used when the pavement needs to be slicker so that ice will not form.
Truth: First of all, a correctly prepared sealcoating mix will contain sand that serves to improve the pavement’s traction, not make it slicker. Furthermore, even if you sealcoat a paving lot, it is possible for ice to form on the pavement. However, asphalt sealcoating in Chicago can help protect your pavement from anti-icing and ice melt products that you may use.
What Are Some Myths About the Inconvenience of Asphalt Sealcoating?
Myths about the inconvenience of applying sealcoating in Chicago leave some people highly concerned about the impact the process will have on their operation every time they need sealcoating.
1. Myth: Parking lot sealcoating needs to be applied every six months or so.
Truth: A high-quality, professionally applied Chicago parking lot sealcoating job typically lasts between 18 and 30 months. Parking lots with extremely high volumes of traffic may need certain areas touched up annually. However, applying sealcoating too frequently can be just as bad as waiting too long between applications. A reputable asphalt sealcoating company will advise you on the proper schedule for your specific pavement.
2. Myth: I will need to close my business so that my contractor can apply my parking lot sealcoating.
Truth: There are many ways to work around this problem, and experienced Chicago asphalt sealcoating contractors know them all. For example, if your business is not open seven days a week, your asphalt sealcoating company could sealcoat your parking lot while you are closed. Chicago parking lot sealcoating contractors are also accustomed to dividing a pavement into sections that can be closed, sealed, and reopened before moving to the next section.
3. Myth: Chicago asphalt sealcoating takes several days to dry.
Truth: The drying time of asphalt sealcoating in Chicago depends primarily on the weather, but it is extremely rare that a pavement must remain closed to vehicles for more than 18 hours. Most pavements can begin admitting pedestrians within four or five hours.
If you need exceptional asphalt sealcoating in Chicago, contact the experts at Black Hawk Paving. We also offer hot crack sealing, asphalt repair, asphalt milling, asphalt paving, site grading, concrete curbing, car stops, concrete flatwork, excavations, traffic signage, parking lot striping, and pavement markings. We serve national, industrial, and commercial clients throughout Chicagoland. For a free job quote, fill out the online form, email Info@BlackHawkPaving.com, or call 708-479-0400.
