Parkade Repairs FAQ

Information about common parkade repairs.

What is it? How it works? Which products?

What To Know

  • There are many different sealcoats on the market and it can be confusing which one to use. The guide on what to use would be mostly dependent on the type of traffic.

    The products available at hardware stores are generally diluted and are helpful more towards very low traffic areas as they are generally thin. These products are water based emulsions, acrylic modified ones, and epoxy modified ones. We recommend these for residential driveways or walkways only.

    Commercial / Industrial sealers are bought often in bulk and are only available until the stock tank runs dry (May to August). These sealers are the common sealers we use. With these industrial type sealers we control the dilution and thickness. They are supplied only by bulk tanker shipment. These emulsion sealers will generally give the most consistent look to the finished surface and because they are thicker, will smooth the asphalt better to hide inconsistencies, and last longer.

    Roaron Construction uses water carried sealers without coal tar. Coal tar based products are toxic and we wish to stay away from them. Some products are carried with solvents. Solvent carried products are almost as harsh to deal with as a coal tar enhanced product. We appreciate some of the benefits of solvent carried products, but try to limit their use to small or special jobs due to hazards associated with them such as transport, spill containment, respiratory irritation, and fire watch.

    Special sealcoats can be supplied on a project by project basis. These sealcoats are more expensive and are shipped out of the United States. Special sealcoats would be ones of different colours or ones to protect from gas and aviation gas spills.

  • Friction is reduced in 95% of sealcoat installations. For this reason they are not installed on high traffic roads and freeways. Vehicles should not notice a difference under slow speeds (<50km/hr).

    Some sealers such as acrylic modified ones and solvent carried ones can be much more slippery when wet when compared to a standard emulsion.

    For the most part, when walking on the surface there shouldn't be a noticeable difference until it is wet. Even then, it is minor.

  • Sealcoats will age depending on the prep, curing weather, traffic, and build thickness.

    Using our industrial based sealer, a first application we expect 3 to 5 years before a 50+% rock exposure is visible. Normally this 50% wear occurs on high traffic areas and turning locations. Areas of low traffic and parking areas should maintain better than 50% for 5+ years. The asphalt will still remain darker and the voids between the aggregate will be filled to maintain a smoother surface, but the top points of the surface aggregate will wear off first.

    The protective layer of sealcoat will continue to work after the sealcoat is worn down to expose the aggregates on the surface. The asphalt binding the smaller particles keeping the pavement smooth should be covered with sealcoat much longer to protect the surface from oxidation.

  • Yes and no. Areas with higher traffic loads will scour the sealer off faster than low traffic areas. It takes experience and in depth understanding on how much to apply. Inexperienced installers who can not vary the thickness of application will inevitably create a problem in the future.

    Too little sealer with moderate to high traffic loads or shear forces from turning will be insufficient and cause premature wear.

    Too much sealer will cause surface cracking. Asphalt sealer is not the same composition as asphalt pavement. The two products will change volume differently under temperature change and the sealer will oxidize and become brittle. If the sealer is too thick, it may move, shrink, and create surface plate cracking. This is not normally an issue in a vehicle traffic area, but rather to areas untouched by vehicle traffic.

  • To obtain the protective benefits of a sealcoat, the surface should be sealed when the pavement is between 1 and 5 years old. Sealing pavement that is older will only help improve curb appeal and help smooth the surface.

    Sealcoating should be done under the basic two conditions.

    1. The nighttime temperature should be 15 C or higher.

    2. There should be no rain 24 hours before or 48 hours after.

    For British Columbia, heat can sometimes play a factor into the sealing. Placing sealant in the afternoon sun on a 30+ C degree day is not desirable. A flash cure of the product can occur limiting saturation bond to the pavement.

    It is also a consideration to have nighttime humidity levels below 90% on the first night of cure.

    A normal sealcoating season for BC is May to August. Can it be done later? Sometimes, but only depending on weather and supply.

  • It is very difficult to provide such numbers as the prep work, detail work, size, and other restrictions really play a role in the cost.

    We apply the manufacturers recommended application rate or more. We do not apply less or dilute the product to gain coverage. Roaron Construction has done sealcoating with many products over the past 30 years and have extensive knowledge on how to make sealcoats last.

    Costs will range from $0.30 to $1.00 per sq.ft. on average.

Why Do It

  • One of the visible failures to asphalt pavement is it's deterioration on the surface through oxidation. This oxidation is accelerated through UV light exposure from sunlight. To help block this from happening, a sealcoat can be placed as a "sacrificial" layer to protect the asphalt pavement.

    This protection of the pavement will not protect the aggregate as that is already stable and unaffected by climate and oxidation. It does protect the binder and in turn keep the smaller aggregates bonded in place to keep the surface profile smooth. This will provide life to the pavement as a slower oxidation rate to the asphalt binder means longer flexibility lifespans and therefore less cracking.

  • A sealcoat will bring the asphalt back to a smoother and blacker look than when it was put in new. This will make line painting "pop" and the contrast to the surroundings will be preferred and more attractive.

    Properties with a sealcoating program will look newer. It will hide defects in the pavement to where people will not visually notice the "sore" spots.

    Commercial properties can increase the curb appeal, add visual value to attract customers to a property that looks well maintained. It can also add to resale values.

  • Sealcoating is a crack filler, not a sealant. It may fill non-moving cracks or hairline cracks to help keep moisture out, but it's capacity is limited. Generally we will say no, it does not seal cracks because most cracks move with temperature and groundwater changes. Since sealcoat does not stretch, it can't handle moving cracks.

During The Application

  • The sealer will dry to the touch similarly to paint or water drying from asphalt. On a warm day it may take 1 hour. On moderate days an average time may be 3-6 hours.

  • We recommend 48 hours as a minimum to be closed to vehicle traffic. After 72 hours, minimal changes to the curing will occur.

    Pedestrian traffic can cross safely generally within 1 hour of it being dry.

    Bicycles, skateboards, roller blades will exert similar pressures as car tires and would follow the same timelines as vehicles.

  • It can, but is limited and dependent on the product. Solvent carried products have a strong smell while water carried emulsions have only but a faint smell.

  • Restricting traffic is the big issue for sealcoating as it is easy to track when wet, just like paint.

    Common problems are pedestrians, animals, and birds. There isn't much you can do with the birds and animals but pedestrians can be stubborn and troublesome. If you are really concerned then we recommend hiring a security guard to keep watch.

    Roaron will generally close areas at access points via ribbon and barriers.

  • Yes, at times people are impatient and believe that closures are only a suggestion.

    If material is tracked, the emulsions we use can be cleaned using water when wet. When slightly cured a degreasing product will work. Once it is more than half cured, a combination of abrasives and degreasers will be needed. If it is hardened, special degreasing oils and abrasives must be used.

    Solvent carried products can only be cleaned with solvent type degreasers and abrasives.

After The Application

  • While the sealant cures, it will be soft. This softness will last for months and during this time, turning and twisting tires will scratch mark the surface. This is normal and common for the first year. These will blend out to a point not noticeable the following year.

  • Do not linepaint until at least 48 hours after the application of the sealer.

    Oil based paints can cause line cracking and sometimes bleeding of the sealer into the lines.

  • During the winter sealants are vulnerable to snow plows and anti skid products. Any type of abrasive such as sand will drastically accellerate wear. For this reason we recommend using salt only or brine solutions. Avoid sand.

  • Damage is inevitable with vehicles leaking fuel or oil. If addressed fast enough, the seal coat acts like a sacrificial layer. A degreaser power wash or scrub to remove the oil should help. It may also remove the sealer, which is fine as the sealer would be softened and compromised by the contaminant.

    Once a damaged section is repaired, the same sealer can be installed and possibly blended out. If it has been over a year or two, the sealer will be a darker colour than the original. This is unavoidable and will eventually blend in as the new sealer oxidizes.

  • Sealcoats on blacktop will require care and maintenance. The smoother surface will help keep dirt from collecting and by drying faster, it will slow the growth of algae and moss. Keep up with moss removal through power washing or broom scrub. Moss left unattended will grow under and lift the sealer.

    Keep an eye on the wear of the product. Once it has worn to where 50% of the sealcoat is missing (the rock points are all showing) then it may be time for a touch up.

    Limit solvent exposure to the sealer. Use less aggresive detergents when cleaning. Excessive power washing can accellerate wear. Use less than 3,000 psi when power washing and try to avoid turbo nozzles.

    Do not add more or another sealer to the existing without consulting a professional first!

  • Spraying we find is an effective way to apply but spraying against buildings, curbs, wheelstops, and vegetation can create problems. For this reason we will often apply sealer by hand to control edging details. This will result in a different texture than a spray finish. This does not affect the quality of the product or installation.

    If grass or vegetation is touched with sealer by accident, it will generally not harm the plant. It can be rinsed off when wet, otherwise we suggest leaving the plant alone.

What Can Add To The Cost?

  • Yes. Deweeding takes time. It is recommended the customer apply a weed killer a month prior to application of a sealant to ensure they do not grow back.

  • Dirt asphalt / blacktop will act as a debonder to sealcoat. Dirt should be power wash cleaned off.

  • Moss and algae are of the biggest issues for sealcoat. Time consuming power washing must occur prior to sealing and it will often add significant cost to the job.

  • If there is a busy area that must have traffic restrictions during the work, it can delay the job and add cost. We recommend closing sections at a time if possible rather than half lanes.

  • Rough pavement uses more sealcoat than smooth as it has a greater surface area and drain down from the aggregates can make build thickness more difficult.

DISCLAIMER

Not All Situations Are The Same

Information presented from this page are based from our experiences and knowledge. It is presented only as general information to assist in decision making and general procedures. This information may or may not provide accurate and/or appropriate solutions for any specific questions as each situation may vary and require different strategies. Use of the information provided does not hold Roaron Construction responsible for any liabilities, cost, wrong doing, or related expenses incurred from the use of information provided on this site.

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