What is Seal Coating?

Seal coating protects asphalt. It's that simple. Without it, your asphalt would eventually break down and would require at best to be re-surfaced or even worse to be completely removed and re-laid...at great expense.

A quality seal coat is an asphalt surface treatment that consists of a slurry type blend of an asphalt emulsion, coal tar, mineral filler and latex modifiers. Seal coating provides protection against water oxidation and ultra-violet damage. The process seals the asphalt surface and restores the original rich, black appearance of freshly laid asphalt.

Sealcoating slows water penetration and oxidation. Exposure to oxygen hardens asphalt binders and results in a brittle pavement surface that will soon crack. Once these cracks have formed, water, snow and ice is able to penetrate the sub-base, weakening it and reducing pavement strength. This weakening will lead to more cracks and eventually expand and become potholes. Sealcoating fills these natural surface voids reducing the asphalts exposure to water and oxygen, thus adding longevity to your pavements life.

Sealcoating also helps to resist ultraviolet rays. These rays break the links between carbon bonds within the asphalt, thus loosening the aggregate in the asphalt. Though sealcoating will not repair damage that already has occurred, it will help prevent further damage from U.V. rays.

Sealcoating beautifies asphalt making it look like new again. The asphalt area is then easier to clean because of the smother surface, snow is easier to remove and sweeping is not as difficult as it once was. Regularly sealcoated asphalt is very dark in color (black). The darker it is, the more heat that is absorbed from the sun, making the surface much more pliable, the more pliable the surface is, the more it will be able to withstand traffic volume changes without cracking.

Not all sealers are the same.  There are both coal tar based and asphalt emulsion based sealers. Coal tar sealers are by nature, very hard and brittle, very black in color and very fuel and oil resistant.  Asphalt emulsion sealers are soft and pliable, not quite as dark as that of a coal tar and much less resistant to fuel and oil deposits.

SealCo’s Premium Asphalt Sealer is a custom 70/30 blend of asphalt emulsion and coal tar, 70% coal tar.  The increase in Coal Tar proportions provides for a much darker appearance, improved fuel/oil resistant properties, and increased longevity due to the high solids content. This custom mix design is further enhanced by the addition of fine aggregates and a latex additive, providing a very durable wear surface that is pliable enough to expand and contract in our high altitude, harsh climate. The result of this proprietary blend provides the most durable, longest lasting surface available.

“The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.”

Download PDF Brochure - How To Protect Your Asphalt Investment

Sealcoating is the most cost effective preservation tool, costing only PENNIES a square foot compared to the DOLLARS needed to repair or replace damaged asphalt.

Call now for a free pavement assessment and estimate. 877.9.SealCo (877.973.2526)