Why Is Asphalt Sealcoating Necessary For Nashville Parking Lots?

Asphalt Sealcoating for Nashville Parking Lots

Asphalt sealcoating is necessary for Nashville parking lots for several reasons. Below we will define asphalt sealcoating as well as share some of its top benefits.

Parking lots require regular maintenance. When they are neglected, the underlying layers of asphalt can become soft and potentially unstable, leading to significant damage. If sealcoating is not performed at regular intervals, you might find yourself with an unsafe parking lot which costs you more money to repair and maintain.

What is Asphalt Sealcoating?

Asphalt sealcoating is a process that involves the application of a liquid bond coat and a liquid topcoat to asphalt. This keeps the asphalt in good condition, prolonging its life by protecting it from damage due to exposure. Sealing exposed asphalt with a protective, heat-reflective coating, asphalt sealers protect the parking lot surface from cracking and absorbing water. This makes it much more durable and allows you to schedule less asphalt maintenance. In addition, sealcoating also helps preserve the color and quality of asphalt by preventing oxidation due to exposure to ultraviolet rays in sunlight.

Parking lot maintenance for Nashville business owner.

What Are Some Benefits Of Asphalt Sealcoating on Parking Lots?

Sealcoating keeps asphalt from deteriorating beneath the surface and causing expensive damage to the infrastructure. Common causes of asphalt surface damage include heavy loads with insufficient support, minor cracks due to age and weather exposure, and environmental factors such as water.

Sealcoating is an efficient way to protect the asphalt surface from all these sources of damage, extending the life of your parking lot and saving you money on expensive repairs. The repaving process can be long and disruptive to local businesses, homes, schools, etc., whereas seal coating can help avoid this inconvenience altogether.

Benefits of asphalt sealcoating also include:

· helps prevent surface damage such as potholes

· Helps improve property value and curb appeal

· Enables easier pavement cleaning

· Protection from oils and fuel spillages 

· Saves time and money

What Is the Asphalt Sealcoating Process?

To begin the asphalt seal coating process, all debris is removed from the surface of the pavement.

Afterward, the condition of the pavement is evaluated and any asphalt defects are identified (i.e., cracks, potholes, and oil spills).

In addition to repairing potholes and filling in cracks with crack sealant, primer is applied over all of the oil and chemical spots.

After these steps in the asphalt sealcoating process are complete, at least two coats of commercial-grade asphalt sealer are applied to the pavement using a broom, squeegee, or sprayer. Lastly, the freshly sealed surface is left undisturbed for 12 hours to dry completely.

Thermoplastic Pavement markings in Nashville TN parking lot

What do I need to Know Before Sealcoating my Nashville Parking Lot?

Below are things to know about asphalt sealcoating for Parking Lots. 

Weather Conditions: The truth is that asphalt surfaces often crack and crumble because they are affected by weather conditions, especially weather conditions that change frequently, such as those in the spring and fall. For that reason, before you sealcoat your asphalt parking lot, the weather conditions must be right.

The asphalt needs to be completely dry before you begin the pavement sealing process. Rain and humidity can keep the sealant from adequately adhering to the asphalt. As a result, there might still be puddles of water after you have finished because the sealant has not correctly adhered to the asphalt. This means that your parking lot will start breaking down again in time, which can be costly.

Thicker is Not Better: A thicker coat is not better when it comes to the sealer. Don’t try to get creative with how many coats you apply; doing so will only result in your parking lot breaking down faster.

Stay off the Parking Lot: Be prepared to stay off of your newly sealed parking lot once you are finished! If you intend to park on the asphalt right away, the general rule is that it’s best not to sealcoat at all. Instead, opt for a less permanent fix like filling in gaps and cracks to protect the asphalt from the elements.

If you decide that an even longer-lasting approach, like sealing your Nashville parking lot, is for you, then make sure there isn’t rain in the forecast for a few days before you start. Clear skies and sunshine will help the sealer dry and cure faster, so take advantage of this good weather to finish the job.

Access: If you don’t find out ahead of time that your parking lot will be safe for sealcoating, then do not worry; there are other ways to protect it until it is ready. Asphalt crack filler or asphalt patches can be used as a temporary fix, and these products fill and seal the cracks and patches to make them safe for your asphalt surface until you can sealcoat your Nashville parking lot.

Sealcoating asphalt in Nashville, Davidson County, TN

How much does it cost to sealcoat an asphalt parking lot?

To effectively sealcoat an asphalt parking lot, the average cost is around $0.14 -$0 .25 per square foot depending on what kind of pavement coating you choose to use for your project

What Elements Affect the Sealcoating Cost Per Square Foot for Nashville parking lots?

  • Mobilizations – Anytime equipment is moved to a different area of the facility or the parking lot is reopened after an event where vehicles are not allowed, to minimize disruptions to employees/customers/tenants can lead to increased costs.

 

  • Utilities – If the parking lot has no utilities already installed the cost of hooking up water, gas and electricity will be passed on to the contractor. A lack of utilities will also add to the mobilization costs when trying to complete the project.

 

  • cleaning and preparation – The more preparation work needed to be done before sealcoating can begin, the higher the price per square foot will become. This price increase comes from having to pay for labor costs as well as equipment.

 

  • surface condition – If a parking lot is in desperate need of repair it would require more cutting and patching than a surface area that only requires fine grading.

 

  • the layout of the parking lot – A complicated layout can lead to increased costs. If a parking lot has many entry/exit points, islands, and various other obstacles it will slow down the grading process which means more man-hours and equipment costs.

 

  • other costs – Depending on the size of the parking lot.

With sealcoating, parking lots can be maintained for up to 3 years before needing additional repairs

Whether you are a school, place of worship, or manage parking lots of mobile home parks, RV parks, truck stops, gas stations, self-storage, or hotels, you can benefit from Nashville asphalt sealcoating service from Gaddes Strategic LLC. 

Gaddes Strategic LLC also offers asphalt and infrared patching, as well as pavement markings

Contact us today at (615) 866-2795 for all your asphalt paving, asphalt repair, and maintenance needs today.

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Service Areas for Asphalt Sealcoating for Driveways & Parking Lots in Nashville and Surrounding Areas