Can Extreme Heat Affect an Asphalt Sealcoating Application?
Can Extreme Heat Affect an Asphalt Sealcoating Application?
With the intense heat of summer beating down on your asphalt pavement, asphalt sealcoating is a service you can’t afford to forgo. Asphalt sealing shields your paved surfaces from the harmful effects of UV exposure, rough weather, and other damaging factors. Successful asphalt sealcoating application can help your pavement beat the summer heat, but have you ever considered how extreme heat might affect the sealcoating process? Let’s explore the impact of excessive heat, why it matters, and what contractors can do to prevent issues.
What Role Does Temperature Play in Sealcoating Application?
To understand why avoiding extreme heat is crucial to successful asphalt sealcoating, it is essential to know how this process works. When sealcoating companies treat your pavement, they apply thin coats of an asphalt emulsion. Properly prepared sealers can contain up to 60 percent water by volume.
After applying it to your pavement, the moisture content evaporates, allowing the sealer to bond tightly to your pavement. It’s a slow and steady process that ensures long-lasting protection and durability.
In extreme heat, asphalt sealcoating companies can encounter many issues. The biggest is a phenomenon called flash curing. Flash curing occurs when the pavement is so hot that the sealer cures nearly instantaneously upon contact. The sealer will have no opportunity to soak into the pores of your asphalt, resulting in an inferior bond. The asphalt sealcoating may also cure unevenly, trapping moisture between a dried top and bottom layer.
Do Sealcoating Companies in Maryland Consider Other Environmental Factors?
It’s not just temperatures that asphalt sealcoating companies will keep an eye on. Humidity and precipitation will also interfere with sealcoating. High humidity levels slow the rate of evaporation, preventing the sealer from curing properly. Meanwhile, precipitation will wash the product away.
Remember: Sealer can take up to 48 hours to cure. Therefore, Baltimore asphalt sealcoating companies must be mindful of the forecast during and after application day. Otherwise, your pavement will lack the necessary protection to prevent damage and deterioration.
What’s Too Hot for Asphalt Sealcoating?
So, what’s the limit that sealcoating companies in Maryland look for? Generally, the best conditions for asphalt sealcoating are around 70 degrees Fahrenheit with less than 50 percent humidity and no chance of rain. Most products will perform well between 50 and 90 degrees. Issues will arise as conditions approach the upper and lower ranges.
During the summer, sealcoating companies in Maryland must closely monitor the forecast and ensure that high temperatures do not create problems later.
What Can Baltimore Asphalt Seal Coating Companies Do to Avoid Heat-Related Issues?
There are several workarounds that sealcoating companies use to prevent the effect of extreme heat. The easiest course of action is to simply reschedule. However, if that’s not possible, sealcoating companies can take steps to cool the pavement down before application.
Some will create a specially prepared sealer mix for the initial layer, using more water to compensate for flash curing. Afterwards, they can apply multiple layers as normal because that first coat helped cool the pavement. Another option is to fog the asphalt. Baltimore asphalt sealcoating companies can mist the pavement with water. Because it’s so hot, that water will evaporate quickly. However, it’ll also cool the pavement in the process.
Finally, sealcoating companies can use special additives. Certain additives can slow water evaporation, thereby preventing rapid curing.
The summer heat doesn’t have to stop you from protecting your asphalt. Apex Asphalt Services is one of the most trusted asphalt sealcoating companies in the Tri-State area. Our team is well-trained to overcome any hurdle that gets in the way of top-notch results, including extreme heat. We always work hard to do things right, never cutting corners or rushing jobs. We take pride in delivering exceptional work every time. In addition to sealcoating, we offer a range of services, including repairs, crack sealing, pavement markings, parking lot striping, and more.
Get your free quote today by calling Apex Asphalt Services at (410) 593-1521. You can also reach our team by submitting your information through our online form or by emailing hunterwiggins@apexasphaltservices.com.