Your Guide to Asphalt Sealcoating Protection in Salt Lake City

Your asphalt parking lot is exposed to traffic, chemical drips, and the elements day in and day out. As a result, the surface begins to fade and weaken, leaving it vulnerable to cracks, gaps, and potholes. Asphalt sealcoating is the best solution to help protect your parking lot and prolong the life of your pavement. Use this guide to understand the challenges of Salt Lake City parking surfaces and the benefits of sealcoating to help maintain its appearance and durability.  

Asphalt Sealcoating Explained

Sealcoat is a surface treatment that applies a protective liquid spray designed to restore binders that help delay the deterioration of asphalt surfaces. Asphalt sealcoating is an essential step in parking lot maintenance, helping to extend the lifespan of your asphalt by restoring its resistance to damage.   

The Importance of Asphalt Sealcoating

Asphalt sealcoating is necessary for ongoing protection from water, temperature fluctuations, UV rays, and corrosive materials commonly found on parking lot surfaces. It acts as a protectant that repels damaging elements, makes the parking lot easier to clean, and maintains an even and appealing appearance. 

Without regular asphalt sealcoating, your parking lot begins to deteriorate, leading to dangerous potholes, unsafe conditions, and the risk of liability for vehicle damage and personal injury. This inexpensive process reduces parking lot maintenance and repair costs, keeping the surface resistant and durable for years to come.

When to Apply Asphalt Sealcoating

Asphalt sealcoating is applied every two to three years in the summer when temperatures are no colder than 50 °F or warmer than 90 °F. Summer is preferred as it also reduces the risk of rain, providing 24 to 48 days to ensure proper adhesion.

The Challenges of Salt Lake City Asphalt Maintenance

Extreme heat and freezing rain, and snow deteriorate asphalt’s integrity. Salt Lake City summers are becoming worse, leading to severe buckling of roadways and paved surfaces. With changing weather conditions, parking lots crack, allowing rain and melting snow to penetrate the surface, making cracks larger. Daily traffic helps further break down the damaged areas, while oil and other vehicle leaks degrade the surface. These issues create significant gaps and cracks, creating dangerous, unsightly potholes.

The Benefits of Asphalt Sealcoating

Asphalt sealcoating offers many benefits, including:

• Extended life: Applying a sealcoat every two or three years can extend the life of your parking lot asphalt. 
• Lower maintenance: Regular sealcoating reduces the need for crack repairs and pothole filling, creating a lower-maintenance parking lot.
• Lower maintenance costs: Because you don’t require extensive annual parking lot repairs, your asphalt sealcoating creates a cost-effective maintenance plan that saves you money over the parking lot’s life.
• Improved appearance: A fresh sealcoat brings back the rich color of your parking lot, creating an even coat that improves the appearance of your property.
• Safer parking: Sealcoating helps keep parking lot surfaces smooth and safe to help reduce the risk of vehicle damage from potholes.
• Safer for pedestrians: Pedestrians aren’t at risk of tripping and falling from uneven surfaces and potholes.
• Reduced liability: Parking lots in good condition avoid lawsuits related to vehicle damage and personal injury.
• Maintain property value: Well-maintained parking lots help maintain your property value, adding curb appeal and avoiding costly parking lot replacement for new owners.  
• Seasonal protection: An early summer application every few years offers ongoing protection against severe heat and damaging UV rays, and water damage related to snow and ice melt expansion and contraction in the winter.
• Easy clean up: Damaged parking lots are more likely to collect debris and waste, making it harder to keep your parking lot clean. A smooth surface allows you to sweep and remove waste quickly and efficiently while providing fewer crevices and potholes that collect and hold things like leaves, paper waste, plastic bags, etc.
• Easier plowing: Potholes can damage plowing equipment and shovels, costing you money for repairs and replacements. Smooth parking lots make it easier to plow or shovel snow with a nice, even surface free of damaging disruptions.

As you can see, asphalt sealcoating is an affordable surface treatment that offers ongoing ROI.

Hopefully, this guide answered all your questions about asphalt sealcoating and explained its benefits. If you still have questions, contact EverLine Coatings Salt Lake City to learn more about our asphalt sealcoating process.