As much as we hate to admit it, winter is fast approaching. Pretty soon, snow plows will be driving up and down the streets clearing away the snow. If your parking lot isn’t sealed correctly, the trucks, ice, and snow could cause permanent damage. Sealcoating your parking lot before the snow falls will keep those small cracks and divots from becoming big cracks and divots next spring.
You may be asking what is causing these cracks and divots in the first place? Just like most things that live outdoors, it’s the weather. The sun’s UV rays penetrate the surface of the asphalt, making it dry and brittle. When vehicles drive over the brittle surface, small cracks can start to appear. These cracks and divots are how water gets in and starts to degrade the asphalt pavement. In the winter, the weather can be warm and sunny during the day and heat the black surface of the asphalt thus melting the snow and ice. When the sun goes down, the melted snow and ice freeze and cause cracks and divots to get worse. Over time, these things have a chance to grow into a big problem. Chemical emissions and leaks from vehicles can also get under the surface of the asphalt through the cracks and damage on your lot.
One way to get a smooth parking lot is by sealcoating it. Sealcoating makes the asphalt easier to clean, and in the winter the snow won’t be able to adhere to the porous asphalt as easily, which will make cleaning off the snow and ice that much easier. Sealcoating helps protect your parking lot from different chemicals including gasoline and de-icing chemicals. It also keeps your asphalt more aesthetically pleasing by preventing it from turning grey. Finally, it protects your lot from the continual melt/freeze process that happens in Minnesota.
Now is the time to schedule your sealcoating. Fall will be here soon! Our parking lot sealcoating slots are filling up fast.