Why Asphalt Sealcoating is Vital for Winterizing Your Salt Lake City Business

Pavement maintenance is critical for your business parking lot, ensuring you contend with the harsh winters of Salt Lake City. It ensures you preserve a safe infrastructure for your visitors while helping to reduce the costs of pavement maintenance. One of the most affordable yet often overlooked steps in pavement maintenance is asphalt sealcoating. Here’s why including winter sealcoating in your pavement maintenance budget is essential to create a safe, attractive parking area and improve your property’s operational efficiency.

What is Asphalt Sealcoating?

Asphalt sealcoating applies a protective coating or “membrane” on your parking lot’s surface to guard against damage from oxidation, chemical spills, and the elements. Applying asphalt coatings before winter is essential, as moisture and temperature extremes fluctuate between mild and frigid weather, causing small cracks to develop.

Why is Pavement Maintenance and Winterization Important in Salt Lake City?

As freezing and thawing continue, cracks become more extensive, allowing moisture to penetrate the asphalt surface. By the time the heat of summer rolls around, your pothole-riddled pavement starts to look more like an obstacle course than a parking lot. The process begins again when winter returns, weakening your asphalt surface’s integrity. 

However, with regular pavement maintenance and sealcoating, your asphalt can maintain its appearance and integrity, protecting against costly damage, potholes, and the need to replace your entire paved surface.

What is the Best Time of Year for Asphalt Sealcoating and Winterization?

Winterization should occur before cold and damp weather sets in, making summer the most effective time of year. Ideally, you want the following conditions:

Higher Temperatures

Since fall and spring can still see temperatures below 32, late summer is the best time to avoid unpredictable conditions. This is critical, as the cold interferes with proper adherence to the pavement surface. You want the coat to cure as quickly as possible. 

Dry Conditions

Dry weather also allows the seal coat to cure without the risk of rain damage. When you book in the wetter seasons, your sealcoat installation company will likely cancel when there is the threat of rain to ensure moisture doesn’t cause issues. This leads to delays. Even high humidity levels can cause discoloration and poor curing, reducing the sealcoat’s durability. Ideally, you want a few days of sun for the application and curing process. The days are longer, providing even more sunlight to penetrate the sealcoat and allowing it to dry without worrying about moisture.

How Often Do Salt Lake City Parking Lots Require Asphalt Sealcoating?

There are a few factors that impact the frequency of your asphalt sealcoating, including:

• The traffic in your parking lot: Higher traffic calls for more frequent sealcoating.
• Heavier vehicle traffic: If you have a parking lot that experiences a lot of deliveries with heavier-weight vehicles, you would need more frequent sealcoating compared to a parking lot with mostly cars and SUVs.

Keep in mind that applying a sealcoat too frequently can also cause issues. Doing it too soon can cause peeling, removing the protection. It is recommended to plan for sealcoating service around every 2-3 years. Your asphalt sealcoating company can assess your parking lot to recommend the best schedule for your pavement.

What are the Benefits of Sealcoating Your Salt Lake City Parking Lot?

Asphalt sealcoating offers several winterizing benefits, including:

• Extended lifespan with regular applications by as much as a decade or longer
• Protective barrier against chemicals and the elements
• Attractive appearance with a uniform color to attract customers and tenants
• Smooth surfaces to reduce the risk of liabilities due to personal injuries and vehicle damage
• Cost-effective solution to reduce maintenance costs over time and prolong the need for pavement replacement

Contact the experts at EverLine Coatings to discuss a schedule for your asphalt sealcoating and pavement maintenance today!