4 Seal Coating Myths You Need To Unseal from Your Head!

If there was ever a gag reel created to the delight of civil engineering, then seal coating myths would have surely made a list. Even though so many property-owners & lot managers are acquainted with the concept of seal coating, they still have some dissonance with the facts. Some skeptics even think seal coating should be done away with since it’s a scam!

Well, let’s revise a bit. A seal coat is a bituminous product that is treated & explicitly applied to asphalt surfaces to protect them from damage due to wear & tear by passing vehicles. If the asphalt takes on too much damage, the rock aggregates will loosen and give birth to unsightly potholes. Seal coats extend the life of your asphalt.

That said, we move onto the myths to show you just how much truth is there to them!

Myth 1: Sealcoating Fills Cracks in Asphalt Lots & Driveways

To some extent, this is true, but it depends mainly on the minimality of the cracks in the pavement. In essence, a seal coat fills up the pores in the asphalt to ward off water intrusion. Minor cracks can be filled with a seal coat but cracks wider than a quarter of an inch require specialized crack filler. We’ll give this myth some leeway.

Myth 2: Sealcoating Can’t Help Restore Old Asphalt Surfaces

If in good condition, older asphalt will be rejuvenated by the oils in the seal coat emulsion, so this myth is hardly in the right. Unless you happen to have a porous asphalt pavement, then, of course, its chances of deterioration are high compared to the standard pavement. Still, the argument stays the same that a seal coat does revive asphalt pavement.

Myth 3: A Sealcoat Only Helps with Asphalt Visual Aesthetics

We all love that black sheen across the pavement, and sadly many of us think that is the only purpose of a seal coat: visual appeal. Actually, a seal coat protects the asphalt from water damage, moisture intrusion, raveling, UV damage, oxidation, & pavement dehydration; and yes, it also makes the asphalt look pretty!

Myth 4: Any Amateur Can Apply a Sealcoat (Oh Boy!)

Reenacting this myth has led many a-hopeful youths to the ER for burns and minor tarry accidents. Seal coats are emulsions that require equipment that maintains the heating temperature, the colloidal state of the emulsion, the charge on the particles, and the pressure pump for the spray wand. This complicated machinery is unlike the bucket loads of black goo you are heating haphazardly for a DIY seal coating job.

Seriously, if you want to try your hand at seal coating that much, you can just call us! At Straight Edge Contractors LLC, we have the equipment and expertise to impart some innovative seal coating tips, and deliver results you’ll be proud of.

We do operate in Texas, but for you, we’ve made it over to Las Cruces, NM, to give your asphalt the treatment it needs to stay safe from the elements. If you had an asphalt pavement laid out up to a year ago, maybe it’s time to schedule a seal coat. You can get in touch with us for free & reasonable quotes on our reliable and quality services!

And, oh my, look at the temperature! It’s perfectly ideal for a seal coat in New Mexico!

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