Pros and Cons of Asphalt Sealcoating

Asphalt Sealcoating Company in Grand Rapids MI

Sealcoating protects asphalt from UV rays, precipitation, and automobile fluids. That’s why we often recommend asphalt sealcoating to our clients. The more you maintain your paved surface, the longer you can expect it to last.

Likewise, the longer you wait to repair damage to your driveway or parking lot, the more likely you’ll have to contend with permanent damage to the foundation. If you have any questions after reading this article, feel free to contact us.

What Is Asphalt Sealcoating?

Asphalt is the material of choice for many driveways and parking lots, but if not properly maintained it can crumble and crack over time.

Sealcoating is the process of applying a protective black coating to an asphalt surface to block out water, oil, salt, and UV rays. The black coating can also make an older, sun-bleached driveway or parking lot look just like new.

Pros of Asphalt Sealcoating

Asphalt sealcoating will save you money in the long run by protecting your asphalt driveway or parking lot from the wear and tear that inevitably occurs with age. Whether it’s an oil spill or a pothole, an unsealed asphalt driveway or parking lot is vulnerable to damage that can greatly reduce your curb appeal.

With sealcoating, you can repel oil stains and block out the moisture that eventually causes potholes. If left unprotected, water can seep down into the foundation of a parking lot or driveway, compromising the structural integrity of the asphalt. When this happens, it becomes a safety issue and the surface will need to be replaced.

One of the biggest pros of asphalt sealcoating, of course, is appearance. Even if you’ve managed to escape cracks, stains, and potholes, the sun’s rays will still bleach the asphalt to a faded gray color over time. Sealcoating your asphalt driveway or parking lot will restore it to a like-new condition, complete with a shiny black finish.

Cons of Asphalt Sealcoating

There are a few cons to asphalt sealcoating. First, sealcoating is a process that must be maintained over time in order to see continued results. This means having your driveway or asphalt parking lot re-sealed every 2-3 years. However, if you hire an asphalt sealcoating contractor to perform the work, you’ll see much better and longer-lasting results than if you do it yourself.

Another con is that if you’ve waited too long to sealcoat your asphalt parking lot or driveway, sealcoating alone might not be enough to restore its appearance. It’s possible that you will need to consider asphalt resurfacing or overlays instead.

Asphalt sealcoating is an investment, but it’s better to make this decision upfront than to deal with asphalt resurfacing or replacement down the line. The appearance and protection that asphalt sealcoating can give to your driveway or parking lot are more than worth the cost.

Request a Free Estimate for Sealcoating

Our asphalt sealcoating contractors in Grand Rapids, MI, work hard to earn your business. We offer a range of asphalt services, in addition to sealcoating driveways and parking lots. To request a FREE estimate for sealcoating, please feel free to call A-1 Asphalt Inc. at (800) 871-4401. We hope to hear from you soon!

This blog post has been updated.