Can Extreme Heat Affect an Asphalt Sealcoating Application?

When they are properly maintained, asphalt pavements can provide many years of useful service. One of the most cost-effective ways to ensure a pavement’s longevity is with an economical application of asphalt sealcoating every two or three years. However, people seldom need to spend more than one summer in the Dallas area before they become aware that the heat can sometimes be extreme. If you are wondering whether excessive heat can affect the quality of a sealcoat application, the short answer is that it can if the contractor does not take certain steps to counteract the effects of excessive heat.

Why Is Excessive Heat a Problem for Sealcoating Applications?

By volume, sealcoating mixes are usually around 70% water. Your sealcoating contractor will apply the mix as a liquid, which must then dry and cure through the process of evaporation. The rate of evaporation must allow the parking lot sealcoat sufficient time to create a strong bond with the pavement. When sealcoating Dallas TX pavements in extreme heat, the very bottom layer of the sealant can dry so quickly that the bond cannot form. Without a strong bond, the sealcoat will wear off long before it should. Fortunately, experienced asphalt paving maintenance contractors know ways to apply sealcoating successfully on hot days.

How Might a Contractor Deal With Extreme Heat When Applying Asphalt Sealcoating?

An experienced, reputable sealcoating company may take one or more of the steps on the following list to ensure quality results on an extremely hot day.

1. When sealcoating parking lots, contractors may flood the pavement with a thin coat of water immediately before starting the application. The water can lower the pavement’s temperature temporarily, thus helping to prevent the sealant from drying immediately upon contact.
2. Just as there are additives that can accelerate the drying of sealcoats, there are additives that can slow down drying times.
3. Other weather factors also influence the rate at which parking lot sealcoat evaporates its water. Wind speeds up evaporation, while humidity slows it. Sometimes, sealcoating Dallas TX pavements on very humid days that also have little wind can compensate for the heat.
4. Since asphalt pavements absorb heat from the sun, their temperatures can begin to rise soon after dawn, then continue to rise throughout the day. Therefore, most asphalt paving maintenance contractors try to begin sealcoat applications very early in the day.
5. Another step that a sealcoating contractor can take to help counteract the heat is to apply a thin coat of sealant to the pavement. This coating is not part of the two layers that are usually applied when sealcoating parking lots. Instead, this first coat serves as a primer to help ensure a strong bond.

HI-TEK Paving is a Dallas-based asphalt paving company, and we are quite familiar with the challenges that the weather in the Dallas area can present. We understand the local climate, and we have the expertise to deal with it. We offer an extensive menu of services, including sealcoating, asphalt paving, concrete repairs, asphalt overlays, asphalt repairs, parking lot striping, asphalt crack repair, concrete installation, and parking lot maintenance plans. We have a reputation for consistently providing exceptional workmanship and exemplary customer service with true professionalism. If you would like to request a job quote, you can submit our online form, call 214-908-9641, or email Kevin@HI-TEKPaving.com.