Sealcoating is the application of a product over the top of asphalt to seal and protect it from the elements. Sealcoating will greatly extend the life of asphalt and give it that fresh newly paved flat black look. Sealcoat also provides new traction to old “raveled” asphalt. Over time asphalt loses its strength and wears down making the aggregate in the asphalt appear on the surface. The aggregate then becomes worn smooth and slippery when wet posing potentially dangerous driving conditions. Our sealcoat has a heavy abrasive base material (ground slate) mixed in and gives a new texture to the asphalt providing new traction to your asphalt.
There are a few different methods to applying sealcoat and we usually try to stick to the best available for the project. Sealcoat can be applied via broom, brush, spray or squeegee
When an asphalt sealcoat is sprayed on, it is applied in a very uniform pattern and is left on the surface of the exposed aggregate giving the asphalt a long lasting protective layer, especially when two coats are applied. Spraying sealcoat also penetrates deep into the small fines in the asphalt filling in the tiny pockets that hold moisture and lead to breakdown. Not every job can be sprayed and in most cases, jobs that can be sprayed will require a bit of broom, brush or squeegee work to be done around concrete and other areas where over-spray is a factor.
Application is a great way to apply asphalt sealcoat. When you broom the sealcoat in, it works the product down into the small pockets penetrating and leaving no air bubbles in the final result. The downside to this i that sometimes it leaves slight broom lines. Most jobs require a bit of broom work around concrete, decorative rock, structures and the street.
Using a squeegee machine to apply sealer puts pressure on the sealant giving it an opportunity to fill cracks and voids and create a better bond with the pavement surface.
The federal specification standard states that the proper sand load for a sealing project is four to five pounds of sand per gallon. Sand is the main bonding agent in sealer that acts as the grit of the product and contributes to the staying power of the sealer. The spray application method cannot guarantee these amounts. By using a squeegee machine to apply your sealer, you can ensure the proper sand load for every application.
Squeegee machines apply sealcoat directly onto the asphalt surface. By forcing the materials deep into the pores of the hairline cracks of new or porous asphalt, we can ensure the most optimal protection. The squeegee machine also produces an evenly distributed textured surface that provides consistent wear and a slip resistant surface with every application.
Squeegee machines have no overspray. You don’t have to worry about product waste or getting sealer on curbs, landscaping or vehicles even on a windy day
Universal Seal has four 2000 Gallon Tanker trucks to transport material to your jobsite and 400 gallon Squeegee Applicator machines to apply the sealer. Having a large inventory of equipment allows us to complete large-sized projects with aggressive schedules and offer cost savings to our customers.
Universal Seal has all Pavement Sealer manufactured as a thermal ready-to-use product. This means that all sealer has been emulsified with a high shear mixing equipment with the precise amount of water added by the manufacturer—no water is added by Universal Seal. The sealer comes from the manufacturer directly onto your asphalt. This ensures the highest quality, longest lasting sealer that contains the most solids.
To understand how sealcoating works, it is necessary to understand the nature of the asphalt pavement itself. Asphalt is a very complex mixture of thousands of chemicals, which are predominantly open chain in structure. The open chain provides easy access to weather, salts, and chemicals such as grease, oil and fuel to attack and disintegrate the asphalt molecules. As the asphalt molecules disintegrate, the asphalt in the pavement loses much of its original properties, such as binding and waterproofing. Therefore, it would be logical to conclude that sealcoating helps resist attack by the elements that destroy the asphalt in the first place.
Get an INSTANT ESTIMATE…Send Useful Info, Drawings, Blueprints, Specs or Whatever You Have That Will Be Useful!
