Properly designed and constructed asphalt pavements rarely wear out from too much traffic. Instead, pavement deterioration is caused primarily by oxidation, water intrusion, and petroleum spills. 

Regular pavement maintenance that includes crack sealing, and seal coating can more than double the life of an asphalt pavement. Sealing the cracks will protect the subsurface from moisture, the number one enemy of the asphalt pavements. Seal coating the pavements will protect the surface from moisture penetration, petroleum spills, and ultra-violet rays that oxidize the asphalt and make it brittle. 

To get maximum life from an asphalt pavement, maintenance should be begin soon after pavement is constructed. After allowing approximately 1 year from the pavement to fully cure the asphalt should be sealed. Any cracks should first be routed and sealed with a hot rubberized crack sealer and kept sealed as needed. 

The condition of the asphalt has a great bearing on how long the sealer lasts. Obviously, a pavement in good shape will hold a seal coat better than pavement that is neglected. The life expectancy of a good sealer is about three to four years. Crack repair is three to eight years. Quality seal coating warranties crack repair for three years. 

No. sealing your asphalt too much can lead to many problems but beware of some seal coating installers as they may lead you to believe otherwise. 

Sealer applied to annually tend to crack and flake after about 10 years of annual applications or less and may even crack the surface of the pavement. This may influence the owner to resurface prematurely. Too much maintenance by over sealing are; tracking, creating slippery surfaces, and basically are unnecessary costs to the property owner. 

Inexperienced contractors will shy away from filling cracks. It is important to seal cracks especially in climates that are subjected to freezing temperatures with a quality, usually hot-applied product made for crack sealing BEFORE seal coating. Seal coating unsealed cracks will allow water in, getting into the pores of the blacktop and can cause damage to the pavement. 

The team members of Quality Sealcoating will know the best solution to treat cracks before seal coating and will explain the process to you. Properly treating your pavement will last the life of the seal coating and the cracks won’t “come back”. Quality Sealcoating provides a three year warranty on crack repair.