Asphalt coating is one of those paving company services that are usually skipped. It’s an additional cost that many commercial property owners aren’t interested in paying on top of the cost of a freshly-paved lot. The inclination is natural, as a new asphalt parking lot can be a major investment. But protecting that investment means taking good care of that lot over time — and having an asphalt coating applied to your new lot is one of the most cost-effective ways to do just that.
How an Asphalt Coating Protects Your Lot
An asphalt coating, which is also called a sealcoating or a parking lot sealer, does a number of things. First and foremost, an asphalt coating provides an additional layer of protection against wear and tear to your lot. A sealcoating creates a non-permeable barrier that helps minimize water damage to your asphalt lot by preventing moisture from seeping into the surface. This prevents this moisture from freezing in cold weather and leaving behind cracks after a thaw.
These cracks, which are often nearly imperceptible at first, will only grow with every freeze and thaw. If gone untreated, these cracks can become large enough to turn into potholes. A parking lot filled with potholes is more than just unsightly — it’s a safety issue. The more potholes a lot has, and the bigger they are, makes patching them expensive, but an asphalt coating can prevent them from forming in the first place.
Long-Term Protection for Your New Asphalt Lot
Asphalt is a relatively resilient paving material. That being said, even the most well-paved parking lots will experience wear-and-tear over their lifetime thanks to being constantly exposed to the elements. Having an asphalt coating applied to your lot, which can provide additional protection from those elements for anywhere between an extra three to five years, increases the lifetime of your lot.
This does more than just prevent the formation of cracks, though. The long-term protection provided by an asphalt coating also keeps your lot looking like it was paved yesterday. Sealcoats provide protection from ultraviolet rays, which prevents your glossy black asphalt from fading to a dull, lifeless gray. This ups the curb appeal of your commercial property that can help attract additional business.
The Last Word on Asphalt Coating
Full disclosure time: it’s true that your parking lot doesn’t necessarily need an asphalt sealcoat. At the same time, though, the protection a sealcoat provides to your newly-paved lot are so beneficial that not having one applied to your lot is a losing proposition. The truth is that without a sealcoating, you’re going to spend a lot more money on lot maintenance than you would otherwise.
If you want to save on overall maintenance costs, extend the life of your lot, and ensure that your commercial property looks its best for years to come, then investing in an asphalt coating is the best step you can take.