Asphalt seal coating helps extend the usable life span of asphalt driveways and parking lots. Sealing asphalt creates a barrier against water and sunlight, which both cause asphalt to break down. Seal coating your asphalt pavement is also very inexpensive, even when done professionally, and it helps lengthen the time until you'll need to spend money to have the pavement replaced due to deterioration.
One of the most important factors in a good seal coating job is proper surface preparation, and this includes making sure the asphalt is clean. If you're thinking about seal coating your asphalt pavement or hiring a professional to do it, you may be wondering if pressure washing the surface first is necessary. To find out the answer, read on.
Do You Need to Pressure Wash Asphalt Pavement Before Sealcoating It?
Pressure washing the asphalt surface is vital to ensure the seal coat bonds properly to the asphalt surface. Washing the asphalt pavement removes dirt and other contaminants that can interfere with the seal coat sticking to the pavement. If the seal coat doesn't properly bind with the pavement when it cures, it will start to flake off. Tire wheels, especially, will pull up large chunks of seal coat when someone drives over a poor seal coating job. However, there are a few things you need to know about pressure washing asphalt pavement in order to make sure you don't damage it.
How Do You Correctly Pressure Wash Asphalt?
The most important thing to do is to fill in all of the cracks in the asphalt pavement before you pressure wash it. You can use cold patch asphalt to easily fill them, and you can find cold patch asphalt at home improvement stores. If you don't fill in the cracks before pressure washing the pavement, water will enter the cracks when you spray them. When you seal coat the pavement afterward, you'll trap that water underneath the asphalt—the seal coat won't let it evaporate. Water underneath the asphalt can damage the pavement, so make sure all cracks have been filled and the cold patch asphalt has fully cured before you pressure wash the driveway.
You also need to remove any oil spills on the pavement before pressure washing it. Oil and other petroleum products will bind to asphalt and dissolve it. Since it's bound together, it's difficult to remove oil from asphalt pavement using a pressure washer without accidentally removing some of the asphalt as well. Use an asphalt degreaser to clean the oil stains on the pavement before you pressure wash it.
Finally, you'll need to wait until the pavement is fully dry before you start applying the seal coat. It's best to prepare the surface of the pavement on a warm, sunny day so that it dries quickly after pressure washing it. Water on the pavement will hinder the seal coat's ability to stick to the pavement, so it needs to be dry.
By following the above tips, you'll have a perfect surface for asphalt seal coating. The seal coat will bind strongly to the asphalt surface, creating a tight seal against water that won't come off when vehicles drive over it. Whether you're seal coating your driveway yourself or hiring an asphalt seal coating service to do it, make sure the driveway has been carefully pressure washed to make sure it's fully clean.
Contact a local asphalt seal coating service to learn more.
