All about Why Asphalt
Needs Maintenance
Even though asphalt is extremely strong and
durable; the sun, weather, grass, traffic, and oil drippings do have a damaging
effect.
You want to protect and maintain the value of your asphalt pavement and
protect your investment. You want to have the best looking and longest lasting
asphalt surface around!
What is asphalt made from and why does it need maintenance?
The thing about asphalt that is really interesting is that it made up of
rock, sand, and liquid asphalt binder that glue the rock and sand together.
The Rock and Sand give asphalt its strength and that's why it can be used in
high traffic zones and why it can endure very heavy weights rolling on it.
The
liquid asphalt binder is the liquid component which give asphalt its' durability
and flexibility and holds everything together.
(technically this is called "asphalt cement" which
is why what everyone just calls "asphalt" is really "asphalt concrete")
However, over time asphalt dries out and loses its flexible properties. The sun
essentially cooks or dries out the liquids right out of the hot mix asphalt
surface.
This progression does not happen over night, but as everyone knows
asphalt is very black when it is first applied then over time turns gray in
color. This graying process is called oxidization. The Asphalt liquids have been
cooked out slowly leaving dried out, gray, asphalt pavement. Before an asphalt surface
gets to this point it is time for it to be sealcoated to protect the pavement
and increase its lifespan.
We all know rock isn't very flexible so once the liquids are dried out this
causes the asphalt to crack and then the pavement gets worse! Water seeps into
it causing more and more decay.
The outcome is that small cracks become large
cracks and eventually large cracks become potholes the surface needs to be
repaired or in severe cases replaced long before it's normal lifespan of approx.
40 years or more.
Call us or email for a FREE ESTIMATE today!!!
1-800-SEALCOAT (from 434, 804, 757, 252, and 919 area codes)
1-866-423-6400 (from all area codes)
Site Started September 25, 2007
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