Seal coating asphalt driveways, parking lots, and other paved areas are the method of applying a liquid substance over an existing asphalt pavement to seal the surface and cover small voids and cracks for weather safety. If asphalt is not sealed, sunlight, wind, and water can cause it to harden and oxidise over time, making it more fragile and susceptible to cracking. If asphalt paving is not sealed on a regular basis, it can be heavily damaged over time. Heat causes tar to oxidize; leaving the asphalt surface dry and brittle over time. Tar is the substance that keeps asphalt malleable, allowing it to expand and contract along with temperature variations and shifting of the earth. Asphalt sealing would restore the elasticity in the asphalt and minimize surface corrosion. An equivalent of four coatings of liquid tar is simultaneously applied to ensure proper quantity and coverage.
There are various types of seal coating materials such as water-based and acrylic paint products, but tar-based (UN 1999) is the only product we recommend. Water-Based and Acrylic paint may be cheaper but they are harmful to asphalt. These products do not have any tar components, meaning that they are not maintaining the asphalt surface, but instead, they are covering the problem by painting over it. Furthermore, these products (paint) have a faster expansion rate than asphalt, resulting in the top layer where the paint lays, to expand faster than the asphalt underneath. Over time, this results in surface cracks called alligator skin.
Tar-based sealant (UN1999) is only sold for commercial use, meaning that home-owners cannot purchase the UN1999 product without going through a certified contractor. Our technicians are MTO certified and carry a TDG (Transportation of Dangerous Goods) certification.