If you have an asphalt pavement, the most cost-effective way to reduce repairs, protect your curb appeal, and maximize the life of your pavement is to sealcoat it periodically. In most cases, your parking lot in Chicago will need asphalt sealcoating every two years or so, and your pavement can be reopened in as little as 24 hours. If you think that closing your parking lot for a day or two every couple of years is too disruptive, you may be considering asking your contractor to apply your sealcoating at night. You probably will not find a trustworthy contractor who will agree to nighttime sealcoating. Even if you do, you will almost certainly regret your decision.
Why Might I Regret Choosing Nighttime Asphalt Sealcoating?
There are several reasons to avoid nighttime asphalt sealcoating in Chicago.
1. Studies have shown that Chicago asphalt sealcoating that is applied during the day lasts three to four times as long as sealcoating that is applied at night.
2. Applying asphalt seal coating during the day also reduces the chances of missed areas and oversprays.
3. Due to the lack of visibility, even with spotlights and parking lot lighting, employees of sealcoating companies have more trouble ensuring a smooth, even coat.
4. Dew can leave wet sealcoating blotchy or pockmarked.
5. Most companies that manufacture asphalt seal coating will void their product warranties if contractors choose a nighttime application. In addition, most contractors who offer Chicago sealcoating asphalt services will guarantee their work for daytime applications, but they will not do so for nighttime applications.
In other words, your results are likely to be less attractive and have a shorter life, and you could potentially be paying for another application in a few months out of your own pocket. Perhaps the saddest thing about nighttime asphalt sealcoating in Chicago is that you would be risking a lot and gaining nothing.
Why Does Nighttime Sealcoating Gain Nothing?
Think about the reasons why you want an asphalt sealcoating company to schedule your application at night. Most people do not realize two important reasons why you do not need to ask an asphalt sealcoating company to perform your work at night.
1. You want to be able to use your parking lot as soon as you open your doors to customers the next morning. Unfortunately, this will not happen. Asphalt sealcoating needs several hours of sunlight to cure properly. Since it cannot get that exposure at night, all you are doing is postponing the start of the curing process until dawn.
2. Chicago asphalt sealcoating professionals are adept at working around a customer’s schedule. If your business is not open 365 days a year, your local asphalt sealcoating contractor will be happy to schedule your job on a day you are closed, including holidays or weekends. If your business never closes, asphalt sealcoating contractors will work with you to identify your slowest times during the day so that they can perform their work then. However, sealcoating companies are very accustomed to using the piecemeal approach on a job. What this means is that they divide the work area into sections that they can close, sealcoat, and reopen individually. Therefore, you will always have part of your parking lot available for use at all times.
Black Hawk Paving has been providing national chains and local commercial clients in Chicagoland with superior work since 1975. Asphalt sealcoating is just one of the many services we provide. We also offer asphalt paving and repair, site grading, parking lot striping, asphalt milling and grinding, excavations, hot crack sealing and routing, asphalt fabric installation, car stops, concrete curbing, sewer repairs, pavement markings, concrete flatwork, and traffic signs. We have earned an exemplary reputation by consistently delivering exceptional work and extraordinary service on every project. You can use our online form to request a free job quote. If you prefer, you can also email Info@BlackHawkPaving.com, or you can call 708-479-0400.
