Why and When should I crackseal and sealcoat?

Why Crackseal:

·  Sealing the cracks helps keep water away from the base material. This is critical in preventing future damage from vehicle traffic.

·  Of unsealed cracks, 75-80% developed additional cracks and potholes. Of sealed cracks, 1% developed additional cracks and potholes.            –Utah DOT

· 

Unsealed cracks developed multiple cracks and spalling. Sealed, transverse crack condition remained stable with no spalling or secondary cracking. The conclusion: cracksealing retards deterioration and extends pavement life by at least 4 years.             –Ontario Ministry of Transportation

 Why Sealcoat:

·  Sealcoating seals the asphalt pavement, preventing the oxidation and erosion of the top layer of asphalt. It protects the surface from the sun as well as chemical spills such as oil and fuel.

·  Sealcoating provides an attractive smooth black surface that is ideal for sweeping, lowering the cleaning costs.

·  Sealcoating costs pennies a square foot compared to dollars needed to repair or replace damaged asphalt.

·  For every $1 spent on pavement preservation maintenance programs, $4 to $10 was saved in rehabilitation. The earlier the preventive maintenance was applied, the lower the loss and higher the benefits.                 –Montana DOT

·  Rehabilitation or reconstruction costs up to 14 times as much as pavement preservation projects per lane mile over the life of the project.      –Michigan DOT

Desert Ridge Crackseal andSealcoating  

When: According to the ASMA(Asphalt Sealcoat Manuf. Assoc)

·  All new asphalt and slurry seal should be cracksealed and sealcoated in approx. 12 months after install.

·  Crackseal should be touched up every other year to seal cracks that have expanded or reopened.

·  Sealcoating should be redone every 3-4 years or as necessity dictates.

In Arizona you don’t want to wait more than 3 years to sealcoat a new construction project. The sun oxidizes the asphalt leaving it gray and brittle. This will lead to cracking from the vehicle traffic because of the loss of elasticity. Sealcoat only protects the good surfaces, it does not revitalize deteriorated asphalt.

Additional Notes:

·  Grocery stores and large retailers are notorious for dragging 25-50 shopping carts across the newly sealcoated surface. This will result in scuff marks from the wheels into the store. They should be advised not to drag carts in bulk across the parking lot. This will greatly reduce this problem.

·  When using Type II slurry please be advised that power steering marks and sand sloughing is part of the curing process. The sweeping companies need to be advised to use equipment that can remove the aggregate from the surface. If they do not remove the sand, it will act like sandpaper and begin to wear the surface off. Know what to expect when requesting Slurry and read your disclaimers. Your knowledge will help you handle any complaints that may arise from tenants.

·  When using new asphalt, power steering marks are very normal and work themselves out as the surface cools and cures.

·  After an old lot has been rehabilitated expect new water to appear on the surface. Water that would usually seep into the cracks can no longer do so.