Whether your asphalt surface has been sealcoated or left bare, treating oil stains is an essential part of maintaining it. Oil has little trouble penetrating sealants, and when it comes into contact with asphalt, the oil immediately begins to cause the asphalt to decay. Untreated oil stains can cause potholes or cracks to form, requiring prompt repairs to salvage the balance of the asphalt. If you need to treat oil stains on your asphalt pavement, the following pointers can make your job easier. Or, call MH Greeson Paving, an asphalt sealcoating company in Atlanta that can help!
• Choose your cleaner carefully. Many cleansers, including some that are marketed as driveway cleaners, contain solvents that can damage asphalt. Check the product’s label and choose one that is solvent-free. A local asphalt maintenance provider may offer cleansers for sale to the public. Otherwise, pay a visit to a local store and purchase a cleanser. Simple Green and cleansers with similar formulas are good choices, or you can use regular dish soap, such as Palmolive or Dawn.
• Invest in a scrubbing brush that has stiff, quality bristles, but avoid the wire type. Wire bristles can damage asphalt, but a brush of poor quality is liable to fall apart before you can finish your work. The scrubbing brushes that are sometimes used for scrubbing floors are normally a good choice.
• Add warm water to a pail, pour in a liberal amount of cleanser and mix it well. You want a soapy solution.
• Spread the solution over the oil stain, making sure that the stain is thoroughly saturated. Let the stain soak in the solution for a few minutes.
• Use the brush to scrub the oil stain, adding more of the cleaning solution as needed. If the scrubbing action is dislodging gravel or asphalt flakes, stop scrubbing and rinse the area. This indicates that the oil has already caused the asphalt to decay, so you should call a paving contractor to determine what needs to happen next.
• Assuming that your scrubbing has not revealed damaged asphalt, once you believe the stain has been successfully treated, rinse away all traces of the cleanser. Some cleaners contain chemicals that can interact with a sealant to prevent proper bonding.
• After the treated area has dried, check the hardness of the asphalt. Even if you did not dislodge any gravel or asphalt while scrubbing, it is still possible for the oil to have softened the asphalt. If so, you want to remedy the damage before applying a sealant, so consulting an asphalt contractor should be your next step.
• Apply a sealant. Sealants are an important part of extending the life of your asphalt pavement. They offer additional protection against the damages caused by oil stains, but even with a sealant, you still need to treat oil stains promptly to prevent damage to your asphalt.
Our final tip to make your asphalt maintenance easier is to call MH Greeson Paving. We are a full-service asphalt contractor serving customers in the Atlanta area as well as many southeastern states. We offer routine maintenance plans that help you protect your asphalt investment. We also offer asphalt sealcoating, asphalt repair and parking lot services, such as parking lot striping and pavement marking, bollards, traffic sings and car stops. You can request a free quote by submitting our online form, or you can call us at 770-335-2983.
We are based in Marietta- but serve Atlanta and the surrounding areas! MH Greeson Paving – Your Asphalt Paving and Asphalt Sealcoating Experts!
