To make the process simple, sealcoating mix is a little like a prepackaged box of cake mix. You start with a mix that has all of the basic ingredients and then add water or sand (for the sealcoating mix). This gives you a basic “batter” that you can then customize by adding more ingredients. The ingredients chosen for a cake depend on what you want the final result to be, and you select ingredients that work well with the particular cake mix that provided the starting point. With sealcoating mix, contractors select additives that work well with the type of sealcoating in order to achieve one or more specific results.
• Additives can speed up the drying time for the sealcoating. This can be especially important if you need to limit the time your area will need to be closed to traffic or if the area will need to have pavement markings or additional coats of sealant applied.
• Additives help keep sand suspended in the liquid sealant, resulting in better distribution throughout the area. This can also reduce the amount of sand that traffic can squeeze out of the sealant. Excessive sand loss can make the pavement slicker.
• Additives allow sealcoating to be applied when conditions are less than perfect. There are numerous factors that contractors must consider when deciding whether sealcoating can be applied on a specific day. The air temperature, amount of shade the pavement receives, humidity, wind speed and ground temperature are some of these factors. Most contractors consider an air temperature of around 70 degrees Fahrenheit to be ideal for sealcoating. At variances of more than 20 degrees in either direction from ideal, additives may be added if other factors indicate they are needed.
• Additives can also offer other benefits. Some additives can make the sealcoating less prone to scuffing, darken the color more than sealcoating without an additive can do, extend the life of the sealcoating or enhance the sealant’s ability to resist penetration by automotive fluids.
MH Greeson Paving specializes in asphalt sealcoating, asphalt repairs, and asphalt paving in Atlanta. We provide our services to customers throughout most locations in North Georgia. Our highly qualified crews have extensive experience in all phases of asphalt maintenance and repairs, including parking lot striping, crack repairs, sealcoating and paving. If you would like a free estimate, submit our online job quote form or call us at 770-335-2983.
