Diamond Asphalt
Services
P.O. Box 757
Lake Stevens, WA
98258
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Why
should I sealcoat my driveway? Asphalt pavements are
made up of stone (aggregate), fine stone or sand, and asphalt binders.
The binders are what gives the pavement it’s black appearance and is the
“glue” that holds everything together. Leaving asphalt unsealed would be
the same as not painting your house. You need to preserve your asphalt
and protect it from damage caused by the elements. Have you noticed that
new asphalt is jet black but soon begins to fade and in a year or two
has turned gray? This is oxidation–the effects of the sun and rain/snow
oxidizing the asphalt binders in the pavement. Given enough time, the
pavement becomes brittle and has less resistance to the loads placed on
it. This can lead to a multitude of problems.
Asphalt is a petroleum product, so any other petroleum derivatives that
contact it will dissolve into the asphalt, weakening or dissolving the
asphalt’s “glue-like” properties. These substances commonly include
motor oil, transmission/power steering/brake fluid, gasoline, the list
is endless. A good quality sealcoating will protect the asphalt pavement
from all these damaging factors while providing the curb appeal of a
new-looking black appearance. It’s often overlooked that sealcoating not
only seals out the harmful elements, but also seals in the beneficial
properties of the asphalt cement. Many years of research has proven that
proper maintenance including sealcoating can double the life of an
asphalt pavement. (Sealcoating is not new by any means. The first
sealcoating materials were developed in the 1930’s for Standard Oil to
help protect the pavement in their service stations.) |
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What
about those cracks in my driveway?
Cracks need immediate
attention. They are your asphalt driveway’s worst enemy. A host of
problems leading to major failure can result from the small start of a
few cracks left unattended. You may wonder why we address this apart
from sealcoating. Sealcoating is for sealing an asphalt surface. It does
nothing of value for cracks larger than a “hairline” or in layman’s
terms, the size of a pencil lead or larger. Actual cracks in the
pavement require specialized crack sealant materials. Left alone, cracks
allow moisture to penetrate the asphalt surface. Water expands as it
freezes, breaking away small pieces of gravel. These cracks can be best
fixed with a hot applied rubberized material that can expand and
contract with the surrounding weather conditions. |
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What
about patch repair? When your driveway cracks have been
neglected to long they begin to crack in several directions we refer to
this as “alligatoring”. These areas cannot be fixed with hot crack
filler as these areas will shift too much under heavy traffic loads and
tear the rubberized filler away. These areas must be patched. To
properly patch a hole you must first cut out all affected areas, then
apply a tack coat to the edges around the area to be patched. Next, fill
with fresh, hot asphalt and properly compact the area, then seal the
edges to keep the moisture out. |
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What
about ugly stains?
Stains are caused by a multitude of
things but most commonly they are the result of some petroleum-based
product. Most often these stains can be fixed by some commercial
products on the market that are actually applied over the stain to allow
seal coat to bond to the surface. The next time you have the opportunity
look at an unsealed asphalt surface you will see many many small air
pockets. These are areas that petroleum products and water can get into
the asphalt to cause serious damage. Remember that ANY petroleum product
is of similar composition to your asphalt and will naturally want to
combine. This should be avoided, and sealing provides that protection.
By applying seal coat soon after installation, and every 3 to 5 years,
after you can prevent water damage and allow yourself time to properly
clean up your petroleum spills. |
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