Tips on Maintaining Your Asphalt Pavement and Parking Lot Fundamentally,asphalt pavements are made by using a material called a binder to hold together tightly stones and gravel into a lasting durable state. The binder itself is made by distillation of some crude oils. This binder is affected adversely when chemicals,rains and ultraviolet rays come into direct contact with it,starting off a degradation process that finally forces the property owner to do major repairs or to replace the asphalt pavement altogether. Uncontrolled asphalt degradation results in pavement surfaces that appear unpleasant or in some cases they may look like they need a serious face lift. To prevent the eventual degradation that naturally occurs when nothing is done,a program that involves sealcoating and crack sealing should be initiated in good time. Sealcoating serves the purpose of ensuring that rain,oil based chemicals and ultraviolet rays do not reach the binder. Handling the issue of cracks and performing sealcoating early enough prevents the inevitable eventuality where a new pavement would otherwise have to be designed. When it comes to crack sealing,do not be fooled by how uncomplicated it might appear;it definitely entails far much more. Make sure that you purchase the appropriate crack filling materials for the crack sealing program. How the surface to be treated is prepared before crack sealing is done determines the kind of end results obtained.
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Clean sweeping of the area and blowing the cracks with a high pressure compressor ensures that all particles,dirt,moisture and debris that weaken the ability of the filler material to bind the gravel as compactly as desired are eliminated.
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The area to be worked on should be clean and dry and that is why compressors should be constantly examined to ensure they do not contain oil or moisture droplets which could end up in the cracks. Filling should be done immediately after the cleaning and drying of the cracks. Bear the following in mind when planning to do sealcoating. Avoid sealcoating during the rainy season. Never apply a sealcoat when temperatures are below 50 degrees. Apply at least 2 coats for desirable results. Do not use the pavement within the next 24 hours of performing the sealcoating process so as to allow the coat adequate time to cure. As a general rule, sealcoating is applied every 2-3 years to prolong the life of the pavement. Generally,re-striping should happen when visibility of the paint has been reduced to about 75% or after 2 years. Always check to be sure that your parking lot is not out of alignment with the federal law known as ADA(Americans with Disabilities Act. When applied at the right time,crack sealing and sealcoating coupled with clearly drawn striping lines keeps your pavement or parking lot looking terrific for long at minimal costs.