Your Charles City Asphalt Sealing Contractor
After the curing process has completed, it is time to sealcoat your asphalt. If asphalt is not sealed it will oxidize and begin to fade. Have you ever noticed how the color of new asphalt changes from black to brown to grey to white? what causes this is the direct effects of sun light, water, and other external conditions.
Only sealcoating will protect your asphalt from the degradation caused by oxidation. If asphalt becomes oxidized it now loses some of its' flexibility properties, which can result in cracking. Another major benefit of sealcoating is the protection from gasoline and oil. Unfortunately, gasoline, oil and the chemicals in the asphalt binder (holds the stone together) are all petroleum based product. Being that these are from the same source in the earth, they have a natural tendency to bond together. The result of this bonding is the oil and gasoline deteriorates the asphalt binder. Once the asphalt binder is deteriorated that stone starts to release from the surface. Next time you visit a highly populated parking lot, take a notice to the condition of the asphalt that has been heavily soiled with oil.
Some cracks are manageable and others are not. The ones that are not are those that are caused by structural fatigue in the pavement - fatigue or "alligator" cracking. And, the other manageable cracks - if not managed - will likely cause accelerated structural fatigue. So, it makes good sense to properly maintain / seal the ones that you can. Otherwise, due to normal expansion and contraction of the parking lot, cracks will be created, water will seep in, water will turn to ice, and the ice will expand to 9% more than the volume of what it was in its liquid state, creating an even bigger opening for more water infiltration.
And all that water, combined with load stress, chemicals, and oxidation from the sun's ultraviolet rays further accelerate the path to alligator cracking - a sign of a Charles City parking lot's structural failure.
