“WHEN IS IT TIME TO SEAL COAT MY ASPHALT?” THE TRUTH
Colorado is actually considered a semi-desert climate. As such, the arid, dry conditions exacerbate the natural aging process that is common to all asphalt. Asphalt begins as aggregate (different sizes of hard rock) that is coated entirely with asphaltic binder (aka asphalt cement), which is basically a mixture of a distillation of crude oil and polymers. The coated rocks stick to each other and, when laid are malleable because they are hot (paving takes place at about 350 degrees Fahrenheit). Once laid, they are compacted together and allowed to cool, which makes the surface harden somewhat, yet always remains somewhat flexible.
Over time, with exposure to the elements of air and water and the UV rays of the sun, the coating on the surface of the asphalt begins to decay, to break down, and the surface gets “dry”. When the surface gets to this point, if you look closely at your once “black” new asphalt, you will notice that you can see the “whites”, “yellows” and “pinks” of the small aggregate (pebbles) that make up your asphalt. If the surface is allowed to continue untreated, it begins to decay further, creating small pocks in the surface. Without being re-sealed using a rejuvenator or seal coat, it will allow more and more water to sit in these small pocks, cracks and crevices (the nooks and crannies opened up by the missing asphaltic oils). As the water sits there, it decays the surface even more; and, if the water freezes, it expands and pops out more aggregate, first the small ones, then the larger ones, creating ever-increasing amounts and sizes of holes in the asphalt surface. Over time, the surface becomes heavily raveled (rough and bumpy looking) and you will notice lots of loose sand particles, pebbles and rocks becoming more apparent.
The time to arrest this process is BEFORE you have the surface coming up, but AFTER you start to see the color of the aggregate in your asphalt, when the asphalt has begun the drying out process. Call us at 720-456-0898 for a thorough evaluation of the condition of your asphalt and a FREE quote on how to fix it. Remember: Seal coating season does not start until temperatures get into the 50’s and will close down again when they drop near that range (from May-October, normally).