While the process of sealcoating an asphalt parking lot is not complicated for those who have the right tools and experience, it is labor-intensive, and it is critical for those who do not want their asphalt pavement to fall into disrepair. An asphalt parking lot can last quite a long time if it is regularly sealed, but if it is not, normal wear and tear will cause there to be potholes, cracks, and deterioration. To understand how the sealcoat process works and what it does, let’s walk through how a typical sealcoat process would go.
Sealcoating an Asphalt Parking Lot
1. Blocking Off The Designated Area
The first step to the sealcoating process involves blocking off the designated area, in this case your parking lot. The entire area must be blocked off so that there is space to prepare the seal coating and to ensure that nothing else gets into the area during the following steps. If your parking lot has a lot of grass around the outsides of the perimeter and you use an automated sprinkler system to keep the grass well-hydrated, then this system must be turned off prior to the sealcoating process. It must stay turned off for a full 24-hours after the entire process is complete, to ensure that the sealcoating has enough time to dry.
2. Cleaning The Blocked Off Area
The second step to the sealcoating process involves cleaning the entire area that has been blocked off. This is extremely important, as it removes debris from the top layer of the asphalt, ensuring that the sealant can bond with the asphalt when it is applied. To clean off the parking lot, outside tools like brooms, brushes, and air blowers will be used to remove items like leaves, wood chips, mulch, dirt, and stones.
3. Prime Specific Areas Of The Parking Lot
The third step in the process is to prime specific areas of the parking lot. Namely, the areas that have oil or chemical spills from vehicles. The reason behind this is that the sealant will not be able to adhere to the asphalt, if it is placed on top of an oily surface.
- If there are any cracks, holes, or defects in the asphalt, then a high-quality crack sealant will need to be used to fix these areas before the entire parking lot is sealed with sealant.
4. Seal The Entire Parking Lot
The fourth step in the process is to actually seal the entire parking lot. This is done by applying a minimum of two coats of high-quality asphalt sealant. This sealant must be commercial-grade in quality and must be left alone to dry for a minimum of 12-24 hours.
5. Restripe The Parking Lot
Once the asphalt parking lot has been sealed and has been given time to dry, the parking lot must be restriped. This involves repainting the parking lot lines and adding in specific pavement markings at the request of the client.
6. Perform a Walk-Through to Ensure Quality
Once the markings have been placed down and have had time to dry, the parking lot must be walked through to ensure that it is in working order. In so long as the parking lot has been properly sealed, the lines have been marked down, and it has completely dried, it can be re-opened for use.
It is important to have your asphalt parking lot go through the sealcoating process as this process ensures that the pavement is protected from common elements like water, oil, and damage from sunlight. It also helps provide a deep black finish to the parking lot, adds a slip resistant surface, and it will double the life of the asphalt.
If you are a property manager, contractor, or business owner, contact us about our FREE annual parking lot walk thru and maintenance program. Once a year, we will send out one of our parking lot experts to discuss and address the needs of your parking lot. Our goal is to save you time and money by planning and budgeting for future needs. Contact us now to get started! You can give us a call today at (407) 618-9646 or fill out a contact form.
