Sealing your asphalt pavement with a high-quality sealant is the most effective and economical way to protect it from cosmetic and structural damage. However, asphalt pavements need regular reapplications of sealant throughout their lifetime. When the trees in the Dallas area begin to drop their leaves, most contractors are inundated with calls from frantic customers who do not want their pavements to go into winter unprotected. Callers are hoping that the cooler temperatures will not prevent the contractor from applying asphalt sealcoating before worse weather arrives.
Can Contractors Successfully Apply Asphalt Sealcoating in Cool Weather?
First, you need to define what you mean by cool. Some people consider anything below 65 degrees as cool weather, while others set the bar 20 degrees lower. Thus, the term can mean different things to different people, especially those who have just endured the blistering heat of a Dallas summer. Most sealcoating companies consider daytime highs of 55 to 60 degrees as examples of cooler weather. Based on this definition, there will be days when it is possible to successfully apply Dallas asphalt sealcoating in the fall or spring. However, most sealcoating jobs are performed in much warmer weather. In Dallas, the sealcoating season typically runs from around the middle of May through the end of October.
Why Do Contractors Prefer Applying Asphalt Sealcoating During Warm Weather?
Sealcoating products are extremely sensitive to the weather conditions that are present during and immediately after application. There are several conditions that an asphalt sealcoating company will consider before deciding whether to proceed with a Dallas sealcoating application.
1. Possibility of Rain: If the sealant has not yet adhered to the pavement, rain could wash it away. Even if adhesion has occurred, rain that falls within the first 18 hours or so after an application can spoil the aesthetics of the pavement’s surface.
2. Ambient Temperature: Also known as the air temperature, this is the measurement provided during weather reports or on automated signs at banks, shopping centers, and other locations. Asphalt sealing projects should not be started unless the ambient temperature is at least 50 degrees and rising. However, other weather conditions can require a higher ambient temperature for successful asphalt sealcoating in Dallas.
3. Surface Temperature: You might think that the ambient and surface temperatures would be almost identical. Sometimes, they are, but there can be a difference of up to 20 degrees. For example, several days of extremely cold weather can lower the surface temperature significantly. It can take time for the ground temperature to rebound once the ambient temperature rises. Like the air temperature, the ground temperature must be a minimum of 50 degrees at the beginning of a sealcoating application.
4. Humidity: Sealcoating needs to evaporate its excess water so that the particles can knit together to form a hard shell that has a strong bond with the pavement. The higher the humidity, the longer it will take for the water to evaporate. Since the rate of evaporation is also affected by the temperature, a combination of high humidity levels and borderline temperatures can make it less likely that a Dallas sealcoating project will be successful.
5. Wind: A light breeze can boost the rate of evaporation. Typically, an asphalt sealcoating company prefers a wind velocity of around 5 mph. When wind speeds exceed 10 mph, however, the application can become much more challenging, especially in cool weather.
6. Sunlight: Asphalt sealcoating needs to be exposed to several hours of sunlight after application. On a hot day, asphalt sealcoating in Dallas may be able to dry and cure with only an hour or two of direct sunlight. However, as temperatures decline, Dallas asphalt sealcoating needs more hours of sunlight.
What Is the Final Answer to the Question of Whether Asphalt Sealcoating Can Take Place in Cool Weather?
The only honest answer is that it may be possible for an asphalt sealcoating company to successfully complete an application in cool weather. However, it will likely not be possible unless all of the following are true.
1. The asphalt sealing contractor must have extensive experience in applying sealcoating in cooler weather. Furthermore, the Dallas asphalt sealcoating contractor must be trustworthy; cool weather is a bad time to cut corners or perform experiments.
2. The combination of weather conditions must be within tolerances. Even one condition that deviates too far from what is considered acceptable can force asphalt sealcoating companies to cancel or delay an application.
3. The complexities of your project can also make it impossible to apply asphalt sealcoating in Dallas when conditions are questionable. For example, if you need your asphalt sealcoating company to work on only one section of your parking lot at a time, the weather may not cooperate long enough to complete your application. If your pavement needs extensive repairs, you want your sealcoating contractor to stripe and mark your parking lot immediately after the sealant cures, or you require your contractor to work only on weekends, your Dallas asphalt sealcoating contractor may be unwilling to accept your job.
HI-TEK Paving Services provides exceptional parking lot maintenance to clients in the DFW metroplex. Our services include asphalt sealcoating, asphalt repair, asphalt overlays, asphalt paving, asphalt crack repair, concrete repair, parking lot striping, concrete installation, and parking lot maintenance plans. We have earned an exemplary reputation for consistency, dependability, craftsmanship, service, integrity, and professionalism. To request a free quote, call 214-908-9641, email Info@HI-TEKPavingDallas.com, or fill out the online form.