Tuesday, Sep 30, 2025
 

The end of sealcoating season is arriving!

As always, this time of year I want to remind all of our customers of the weather parameters regarding sealcoating and the potential problems of applying sealer in cooler and wintertime conditions. Below explains in detail why sealer should not be applied from the beginning of November until late March.

This year has gone by so quickly and now we have come to the end of another sealcoating season. In order to follow manufacturers’ specifications and from our decades of experience in applying sealer, we only apply sealer from the last week of March to the first week in November. Many times I will see some of our competitors applying sealer in December, even in January and February. Unfortunately these contractors are being less than honest and are doing their customers a disservice. Applying sealer during winter months will produce a sealant that will not cure properly and will prematurely wear within a matter of months. Sealer should NOT be applied unless the pavement temperature is at least 50 degrees F and RISING, along with the air temperature being 50 degrees F and RISING. The fusion of the binder particles in the sealant to form a uniform and continuous film depends on their ability to soften under the ideal air temperatures and pavement temperatures. The process of fusion is GREATLY reduced at temperatures below 50 degrees, and even higher temperatures when there is lack of ultra violet light. Also, when sealer is applied below the ideal temperatures, refined tar particles do not soften and form a continuous film, so they leave clay and filler particles (key ingredients in sealer) uncoated. This leaves the sealer a grey and blotchy color. The lack of ultra violet light also plays a huge factor in the proper curing of the sealant. Of course in winter months, the sun in very low in the sky, thus the ultra violet sun rays cannot help in the curing process of sealer. If you are still considering sealcoating your property, please have this work performed in the spring.

 

Please visit our website!

We take great pride in our website, not only as a marketing tool, but as a great educational tool for our prospected and current customers. There is a plethora of information pertaining to all aspects of the work we perform. There is a vast frequently asked question page (if you have any, please email me); services pages describing in detail how our work is performed along with specification and pictures, and a very up to date completed project page. Each project in completed projects shows pictures of the job from commencement to finish, along with commentaries regarding processes and specifications. This is ideal for a property manager or owner to view and to find a project similar to theirs to have an understanding of the equipment we will have on the job as well as time frames and phasing. Normally when providing a proposal, we will send links to a very similar project, which helps the property owner/manager in their decision making. If you haven’t visited our website please do, since we keep it up dated frequently.

 

Also, please click on our newsletter history page which is a catalogue of previous newsletters. www.asphaltenterprises.com 

Sincerely,
Gerry Signs

Gerry Signs President