Why summer is the best season for asphalt sealing.
Summer is the best time to seal your parking lot’s asphalt. The warm summer sun is essential for asphalt sealcoat to set on your parking lot and provide protection.
The temperature and humidity level must be optimal for asphalt sealers to dry and cure as they should. However, there are exceptions to this general rule. The type of asphalt sealer used by the parking lot services crew in Tampa ultimately determines if sealcoating should be performed in warm weather or if it is possible to sealcoat when the weather is cool.
Asphalt Hinges on the Weather
It is not only the temperature and humidity level that matter in the context of sealcoating; the possibility for precipitation also matters. If there is rain or any other form of moisture such as fog in the forecast for the next 24 hours, sealcoating should not be performed. There should be a clear forecast with an abundance of sunshine. Otherwise the liquid in the sealcoat sealer will not evaporate. However, if the forecast calls for overcast skies without precipitation, it is still possible to sealcoat.
The Proper Temperature for Sealing
Asphalt sealing that is water-based should not be placed unless the pavement temperature is 40 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. These water-based sealers are likely to freeze. If a water-based sealer freezes, its properties are altered to the point that the sealcoat is damaged. This is precisely why the best in the business refuse to sealcoat when the temperatures are low.
Summer Asphalt Sealing Allows for a Quick Asphalt Sealing
The primary reason why sealcoating should be performed in the summer is to cure the seal as quickly as possible. You should not have to wait one or several days for your parking lot to cure. The time it takes for sealcoat to cure is especially important to local business owners. If your customers cannot park on your parking lot for two straight days, you will lose business as well as standing in the community. The less humidity there is in the air and the warmer the temperatures are, the quicker the sealcoat will dry/cure. If sealcoating occurs when the temperatures are comparably cool, it might be necessary to wait upwards of three days until the property is completely cured.
Pavement Shading Matters when Asphalt Sealing
The level of shade your pavement has is of the utmost importance when planning its sealcoating. A shaded parking lot will delay the curing process. Alternatively, a parking lot that receives an abundance of sunshine will cure comparably quickly.
The Stages of the Drying Process for Asphalt Sealing
Full curing, dry to the touch and dry to traffic is completely different parts of the drying process. Dry to the touch means there is not anything on the fingers when touching the sealcoat. The weight of vehicles has the potential to cause parts of sealer to be lifted up onto tires.
Alternatively, dry to traffic indicates the vehicle weight does not cause the tires to pick up any of the sealcoat. If you let customers’ vehicles onto the sealcoat before they should be there, you will likely find tire marks or tracks.
Contact PLS for Asphalt Sealing Services in Tampa
Now that the temperatures are rising, this is the perfect time to seal your asphalt. Contact PLS today at (813) 880-9100 to learn more about our parking lot repair and paving services. Our asphalt paving team is ready and willing to analyze your property, plan the proper time for sealing, and ultimately enhance your lot’s functionality, safety, and beauty.