Yes, you can have too much of a good thing. Sealcoat is one of them.
On one hand, sealcoating is necessary for sealing cracks in asphalt pavement. It also helps increase its lifespan and reduce long-term maintenance. And, a fresh sealcoat application just helps any road or parking lot look great.
All of this makes sealcoating a necessary part of your asphalt’s lifespan.
Where You’re Going Wrong with Asphalt Sealcoat
But on the other hand, you’ll be surprised at just how often property managers opt to have their parking lots sealcoated.
Generally speaking, you should only be sealcoating your asphalt surfaces once every three to five years.
In some cases, five years can be an acceptable interval depending on traffic type and use of the lot. However, many property managers are opting to have their lots coated every other year. Some are even having it done every year.
Why?
Good question. Perhaps it’s because the lot is showing signs of premature wear and tear. Or maybe it’s just personal preference.
While sealcoating this frequently won’t necessarily hurt your lot, doing it at these intervals just takes up a portion of your maintenance budget that could better be served elsewhere.
Tips to Save on Sealcoating
As a property owner, you want to save money wherever you can. We’ve compiled our best tips to help save on sealcoating.
Get it Right the First Time:
This is the most important part of the long-term lifespan of any asphalt lot – partnering with the right contractor to install it in the first place.
You want to make sure that whoever you work with for this task knows their stuff and isn’t some fly-by-night worker just looking to add another service under their umbrella.
Bottom line: Work with the contractors that are experienced and qualified in asphalt pavement installation. Even if the initial cost might be higher up front, having a lot that looks almost brand new at the 3 year sealcoat mark is important to save money.
Hire the Right Sealing Contractor:
Just as it’s important to find the right contractor to install the pavement in the first place, you want to hire a sealcoat contractor that knows what they’re doing too. Like we said above, sealcoating is an important part of lot maintenance and preservation. It can either be sprayed, brushed, or squeegeed to apply.
While either application method is viable, some contractors have a tendency to put too much down, which makes the job look uneven and blotchy in about a year.
This appearance is often enough for some property managers to have the service done again, which isn’t ideal for the maintenance budget. Make sure whoever you work with for sealcoating knows how much to apply so that the job lasts for three to five years.
What You Can Do To Take Control of Your Sealcoating
Think about this for a second: Sealcoating a parking lot can cost anywhere from 14 cents to a quarter per square foot. Now do the math and figure out how much money you could be saving and spending elsewhere if you just stuck to doing it every three to five years. It adds up.
And it’s why you should hire the right contractor to put in the asphalt parking lot in the first place – so you don’t have to keep putting Band-Aids on it year after year when it prematurely cracks.
