During September, many asphalt sealcoating contractors begin to receive an increasing number of inquiries about winterizing pavements. Some calls are from customers who realize that cold weather will arrive soon and want to protect their pavements over the winter. Other calls are from customers who meant to have work performed over the summer, but they just never found time to solicit quotes from asphalt contractors. Most of the questions center around what the customer should do to prepare their pavements for winter, but many callers also want to know whether the contractor can sealcoat the pavement before cold weather arrives.
Asphalt Sealcoating & Winter Preparation
What Should You Do to Prepare Your Asphalt Pavement for Winter?
Many tasks that paving contractors offer are difficult or impossible to perform in cold weather. For example, installing an asphalt overlay is problematic due to the need to compact the asphalt while it is still hot enough to be worked. Therefore, if you need a contractor to replace large areas of damaged pavement that will require the extensive use of hot mix asphalt, you should schedule that work before the end of autumn.
You should ask an asphalt maintenance contractor to repair all pavement damage. It is not advisable to go into the winter months with unrepaired potholes, cracks or patches of alligatored asphalt. Open breaks allow water to reach the pavement’s supporting foundation and erode it. In most cases, this will result in costly repairs instead of the economical solutions that a timely response can provide.
You want to remove any piles of trash, dirt, fallen leaves or other debris. Although cleanliness is important year-round to keep moisture from becoming trapped next to your pavement, it is especially important during the winter months. Your cleaning should also include the removal of leaked oil, gas or other automotive fluids that can soften asphalt pavement. You may choose to remove leaked automotive fluids yourself, but many asphalt sealcoating contractors offer this service.
You should also check the condition of your sealcoating. Most paving companies recommend a fresh application of sealant every two years. However, your particular pavement may require new sealant as often as every year or as seldom as every four years. If you need sealcoating, you should schedule the work as soon as possible; paving companies cannot apply sealants if the weather will not allow the sealcoating to cure properly.
When Is It Too Late for Sealcoating?
The weather does not always align with the calendar, so it is impossible to give a fixed date as the final day for sealcoating. Regardless of the date, asphalt contractors can typically apply sealcoating when the following conditions exist.
• Ground and ambient temperatures need to be above 50 degrees when the work begins. The temperature should be expected to rise throughout the day and not fall below 50 degrees overnight. However, if the relative humidity is high and/or the skies are overcast, the minimum temperature may need to be higher before some paving contractors will apply sealcoating.
• The new sealant needs to receive at least two or three hours of direct sunlight. The sun helps sealcoating cure; insufficient curing can result in tracking and the premature failure of the sealant.
• A light breeze can help expedite the evaporation of water from the sealant. The wind speed can be especially important if other conditions are marginal.
• If rain falls on uncured sealant, it can ruin the job. Therefore, no rain should be forecast for at least 24 hours following the application.
For help getting your pavement ready for winter, contact the experts at MH Greeson Paving. We specialize in asphalt maintenance and serve Marietta, Atlanta, most locations in North Georgia. Our services include crack repair, asphalt sealcoating, parking lot marking, asphalt repair and asphalt paving. We also install bollards, traffic signs and car stops. We are known for the quality of our work, our affordable rates and our commitment to customer satisfaction. We would be happy to provide you with a free quote — just call 770-335-2983 or submit our request form online.
