Your Newport News Asphalt Sealing Contractor
There is a saying that goes something like this "your asphalt should not be sealcoated because it needs to breath".
We will acknowledge that there is some truth to the statement above. New asphalt should not be sealcoated in the first 90 days to 6 months. The reason is because new asphalt goes through a curing phase in which chemicals are released from the asphalt. A sign that asphalt is still going through this phase is that there should be a rainbowish hue to water when the asphalt is wet. This is the water and the chemicals still mixing.
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? This is the direct effects of sun light, water, and other external conditions.
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 Newport News parking lot's structural failure.
