Protect Your Bare Ass-phalt

Asphalt and its battle with the elements

You just had your driveway or parking lot fully repaved. It’s smooth and solid and a beautiful, deep black color. It’s perfect!

And now you can check that major to-do item off your list and move on to something slightly more fun than paving. (Are there things more fun than paving?!)

You’re done with the driveway or your business’ parking lot, and you don’t have to think about it for a decade or so, right?

Wrong.

Pretty much anything in your life that you depend on: your roof, your car, your rainy day fund, you have to work to maintain. It’s one of the more annoying parts of being an adult. You have to keep coming back to things, check on them, maintain and repair them. It kinda sucks, but what else can you do?!

With asphalt, you HAVE to sealcoat it. Well, you only have to if you want it to last and look good.

And let’s face it, faded and cracked asphalt creates a bad impression, so sealcoating is your best bet to avoid the frustration and embarrassment of aging asphalt.

To sealcoat asphalt means applying a thin, black layer of protective chemicals to your driveway, parking lot, or any paved surface.

It’s like protecting your wooden deck by applying a sealer to it or keeping your car’s paint job intact with a ceramic clear coat. You cover your investment in a transparent layer to protect it from weather, daily use, and random chemicals.

What is trying to attack my asphalt?

• The Sun It is not your asphalt’s friend. (I’m honestly not sure the sun has many friends.) Ultraviolet rays from the sun dry out and harden your asphalt.
• Water Whether it’s rain or snow, it creeps into bare asphalt and expands and contracts depending on the heat of the season, and damages the asphalt’s structure.
• Chemicals Gasoline and motor oil eat away at the makeup of asphalt causing it to deteriorate.
• Daily Use Without a protective sealant, the fine, top layer of asphalt erodes from the wear and tear of driving and walking on it.

Adding a sealcoat to your blacktop not only protects it from sun, water, oil spills, and wear and tear, it can also double its lifespan. Yes, I said double!

As great as it would be to pave your driveway, private road, or parking lot once and call it a day, it’s just not the financially smart thing to do.

Sealcoat protects both your asphalt and your financial investment. (The most cost effective way to sealcoat your asphalt might be with our new Squeegee machine…)

One important thing to remember: Once asphalt starts cracking, sealcoating can only repair the damage. It can’t reverse it. So it’s important to begin a maintenance program as soon as possible.

At Stripe A Lot, we recommend applying a sealcoat to your asphalt two years after paving and then every three to four years afterwards. With this maintenance schedule, you can double the life of your asphalt, while saving you from costly, preventable resurfacing projects.

You may be asking yourself why you can’t simply fill the cracks in asphalt and be done with it.

Filling the cracks without sealing them is only a temporary fix. The things that cause asphalt to degrade: water, sun, motor oil, will continue to seep into your asphalt.

Having a sealcoat applied across your entire blacktop will stop all those abrasive elements from destroying your smooth, black asphalt. It’s a longer lasting solution that will greatly extend the lifespan of your asphalt.

Now you know what sealcoating is, what it protects your asphalt from, and the financial benefits of having it done. So how can you make sure your asphalt looks great and lasts longer?

1. Call Us at (616) 772-2559.
   Call us today and we’ll schedule a time to come estimate your project.
2. Get Your Free Custom Estimate.
   We’ll come evaluate your asphalt and recommend the best option to extend its lifespan.
3. Schedule Your Job.
   We’ll answer your questions and discuss scheduling. The asphalt season in Michigan is short, so it’s important to get on our calendar before it fills up.

Act quickly to sealcoat your asphalt and set up regular maintenance to protect your asphalt and your financial investment.