New England Sealcoating

1-800-225-4015

FAQs

New England Sealcoating

Have an asphalt or sealcoating-related question? We have the answer. Check out these FAQs and give us a call today for more information!

Sealcoating FAQs

What are the major threats to my asphalt?

Turn your sprinkler system off the day before the sealing is to be done. Turn it back on the day after the sealer has been done. Reschedule trash pickup, landscapers, etc. Inform the postman and newspaper delivery people. Newspaper people are notorious for driving right through the cones. Notify people who use the lot that it will be closed on that day and they will not be able to walk or park on the pavement. Have all vehicles, dumpsters, pallets, etc., off the paved area. To be safe, put them at least 100 feet from the asphalt. While the cleaning process is going on, there is a lot of dust flying through the air, and an occasional gust of wind can blow the sealer quite a distance while it’s being sprayed.

The common mistake most people make is calling us after their pavement has cracked and needs patching. To get the maximum life out of your pavement, a program should start within the first year. Your asphalt should be protected from its enemies, the sun, oil and gas spills, and water intrusion, as soon as possible. Reach out if you have further questions about pavement maintenance or parking lot sealcoating.

As soon as the pavement rids itself of the surface oils. This is done through oxidation and rain. One way to check is to spread some water on the surface; if the water does not bead up and there are no rainbows caused by the surface, the asphalt is ready to be sealed. Depending on the weather, this usually takes 6 to 8 weeks.

Much like paint, sealer applied in 2 thin coats dries and cures much better than with 1 thick coat. Sealers are a water based product that dry and cures by evaporation of the water. A thin coat of sealer loses its water content much faster than a thick coat. A thick coat has a tendency to hold water and stay soft for a longer period of time. This could result in some tracking.

In Low Traffic, such as a typical home driveway, 1 coat is sufficient. Moderate Traffic in a car park, 2 coats with a third coat on the entrance and exits. Heavy Traffic: 2 coats with a third.

Scuffing is normal, even with additives, and usually occurs in the first month. Scuffing is usually worse on a hot day, particularly when the temperatures go above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The best way to minimize scuffing is to try and not turn your car sharply when the lot is first opened up.

My unsealed driveway is getting tire/scuff marks. Will seal coating prevent this from happening?

No, the seal coating will not help.

Surface preparation may be the problem. Adhesion problems may occur due to the pavement not being properly cleaned. The presence of dirt, or contaminants like oil, gas or grease, will lead to flaking. Some asphalts, even with primer applied, are just too old, oxidized, and/or polished for the sealer to bond properly. The sealer was not given enough time to cure before it was driven on. The contractor may have diluted the sealer with too much water or did not apply the recommended amount of the product. There is just too much traffic in the car park for the sealer to perform. A severe winter, where a lot of sand is used on the lot.

In our experience with parking lot sealcoating, if the sealer does not contain a drying additive, we recommend allowing it to cure for 24 hours. When the sealer includes a fast-drying additive, typically around 2%, the curing time is reduced to approximately 12 hours. Several factors can impact this timing, including temperature, humidity, and the amount of direct sun exposure the surface receives.

Seal coating is a 7-day-a-week operation; maybe a Saturday or Sunday would work. We can seal the lot in sections so as not to disrupt traffic too much. There are some more expensive sealers designed to cure more quickly, so you can open the lot up sooner.

Seal coating at night is very risky. The weather conditions need to be ideal. It needs to be very warm with low humidity, and a breeze certainly helps. You run the risk of the sealer not being dry in the morning, causing huge traffic and tracking problems. Typically, if you seal at night, the sealer will not be getting the proper curing time and may wear prematurely. The manufacturers also inform us that the sun is an important factor for the curing and longevity of the sealer.

Traffic is a major cause of wear. Sanding and plowing are also a factor. The sand will act like an abrasive, grinding and wearing the sealer as it turns on it.

No, sealer will not fill depressions or holes. If sealer is put on too thick, it tends to flake off. Hot asphalt will be needed in these areas. Sealer does not work in the cracks. When it is dry, it is not flexible enough to move when the cracks open and close. It would just crumble in the cracks.

Patching, crack sealing, and seal coating will extend the life of your pavement. The sealer will protect the pavement from oil and gas spills, oxidation, and water. It will also leave an attractive black surface, make it easier to clean, and the black surface helps with the melting of snow. The crack sealing will prevent water intrusion into the subbase by way of the cracks. A regular maintenance program of every 2 to 3 years will double the life of your pavement. The National Pavement Contractors Association estimates a savings of $127,000 on a 10,000-square-yard parking lot over a 15-year period.

Sealer is oil and gas resistant. No products will protect your pavement from a spill that is left on the surface for an extended period of time. If cleaned up soon enough, there most likely will be a stain, but the sealer will continue to protect the underlying asphalt from further damage. The best way to treat the spill is to apply Speedy Dry, cat litter, or even dry sand to it immediately. Work it into the spill with a broom, shovel it up, and dispose of it properly. If caught soon enough, power washing after the cleanup may remove some of the stain.

No, pavement sealer does not bond well to concrete or cement surfaces. It will look good at first, but it will peel and flake off, becoming a constant maintenance problem and eyesore.

The typical asphalt parking lot is sealed every 2 to 3 years. The amount of traffic and the wear are the deciding factors. Low-traffic areas such as driveways need to be sealed less frequently than pavements with moderate or heavy traffic. Seal coating too frequently or over sealing is not good for your asphalt. Each time a lot is sealed, it should be evaluated for wear patterns. Some areas may require only 1 coat, while others may need 2 or 3 coats.

Sand in the sealer gives a uniform texture that helps with traction and skid resistance. Sealer applied without sand in it tends to be more slippery. Sealers with sand in them tend to last longer and are safer to walk and drive on. Recommended sand loads are 4 to 6 lbs of sand per gallon of the emulsion. Any more sand than that will result in a coating that will have poor flexibility and adhesion and lose some of its chemical resistance.

The use of latex additives is very common these days. There are many additives, each trying to improve the performance of the sealer in some way and help minimize scuff marks. Some examples are fast-drying additives that help speed up the drying and curing time of the sealer so it can be driven on sooner. Rubberizing Additives—to improve flexibility, toughness, and durability; Thickening Additives—which build the viscosity of seal coating diluted with large amounts of water.

Two coats of sealer will last longer than one. Over time you will have sealed more frequently with one coat, and it will end up being more expensive. The labor costs for the mobilization, cleaning, and surface preparation do not change for one coat versus two coats. The price difference between one coat and two coats is not half, but the life expectancy is about half.

Over time, due to traffic and oxidation, the surface aggregate becomes smooth and polished. Sealer does not bond as well to a surface like it does to newer asphalt. For the seal coating to bond to this polished surface, the sealer needs something to stick to. The right primer penetrates the smooth, polished aggregate and allows the sealer to bond effectively. In older parking lots, unless there is a tremendous amount of traffic, we recommend applying polyprime to areas where the sealer wears first: the entrances, exits, and travel lanes. The areas where the cars park wear very slowly, so priming these areas is usually overkill.

Turn your sprinkler system off the day before the sealing is to be done. Turn it back on the day after the sealer has been done. Reschedule trash pickup, landscapers, etc. Inform the postman and newspaper delivery people. Newspaper people are notorious for driving right through the cones. Notify people who use the lot that it will be closed on that day and they will not be able to walk or park on the pavement. Have all vehicles, dumpsters, pallets, etc., off the paved area. To be safe, put them at least 100 feet from the asphalt. While the cleaning process is going on, there is a lot of dust flying through the air, and an occasional gust of wind can blow the sealer quite a distance while it’s being sprayed.

Crack Sealing FAQs

Why is it important to crack-fill my parking lot?

Water penetration into the subbase is one of the leading causes of pavement deterioration in parking lots. Crack filling is a key part of effective parking lot sealcoating because it helps block water from seeping through surface cracks and reaching the underlying layers. By sealing these cracks, you protect the structural integrity of the pavement and significantly extend the lifespan of your parking lot.

Hot-pour crack filler is a flexible, rubber-like product that is used to repair cracks in asphalt pavement. It starts out as a solid rubber block, which is melted down in a double-jacketed melter. Once the crack filler is melted down into a liquid, it is installed into the crack, creating a waterproof, flexible expansion joint in the crack.

No. There are many types of crack fillers. Some become softer in hot weather but stay firmer in cold weather. Some are firmer, so they do not track in high temperatures, but do not need to be as flexible in cold temperatures because the area climate is not that extreme. Find out from your installer what type of crack filler you are getting.

Hot-pour crack fillers are heated and are applied as a hot liquid. When it cools down, it becomes a pliable, rubber-like consistency. It will be flexible enough to expand and contract with the crack as it opens and closes with the temperature changes. Cold-applied crack filler is usually a water- or asphalt-based product. It is applied in a liquid form and dries into a solid. Cold pour crack fillers look great but tend to be less flexible. In areas of the country where the temperatures get cold, this type of crack filler tends to fail.

Hot-pour crack filler is designed to always remain flexible so it will expand and contract as the crack it is in does. When you press it with your finger, it’s supposed to flex. When you park on it on a hot summer day, your tire may actually leave an imprint.

Hot-pour crack filler can be driven on almost immediately, depending on the temperatures. The cooler it is outside, the faster it cools down and hardens up so you can drive on it.

The crack may not have been properly cleaned prior to the installation. The crack filler is only as good as the asphalt it is bonding to. The asphalt may have been damaged by an oil spill or may just be too weak to hold the crack filler down on a hot summer day.

Unfortunately, yes, ants can burrow their way through crack sealant to get out of their nest.

To repair areas that are alligatored (areas that are so cracked they look like an alligator’s back, a road map, or a spider web) correctly, they should be cut out and removed, the base repaired, and then repaved. This process is expensive. If the budget does not allow, we can crack-fill an alligatored area, getting the major cracks and helping to hold it together until you can properly repair the area.

Applying Black Beauty does nothing structurally to the crack filler. Its job is to create a barrier between the crack filler and a vehicle’s tires.

Line Striping FAQs

What color line paints are available?

For parking lot sealcoating and striping, the standard line colors are yellow and white, with blue used for designated handicap spaces. Custom colors are available for an additional charge. While it is possible to switch colors, we typically recommend using the same color as before. This ensures that as the top layer of paint wears over time, the older lines underneath match and maintain a consistent appearance. Changing colors can make faded lines more noticeable, which often leads to the need for restriping sooner than expected.

You can change the striping layout during a parking lot sealcoating project, typically for an additional charge. However, one challenge is that the original lines may bleed through the new sealer over time, eventually leaving two visible sets of markings. There are a couple of solutions. One is to grind off the old lines you no longer want—this is the most permanent method, although it can leave surface marks on the pavement. Another option is to black out the old lines using traffic-grade blackout paint before applying the sealer. Paint adheres better to existing paint than sealer does, which helps conceal the old layout. However, as the sealer wears down, the blacked-out areas may begin to show, eventually requiring further touch-ups or another round of resealing.

Water-based acrylic or latex traffic paints. Oil-based paints tend to yellow.

No, on an unsealed lot, the paint goes down in the pores of the asphalt. On a sealed lot, the paint is sticking to the sealer. It tends to wear off sooner.

Tennis Court FAQs

What is the size of a tennis court?

In our experience, the actual court area is 78 x 36. The fenced-in area is typically 120’x60. Sometimes they are made smaller to fit into the area they are going. If you have other questions about tennis courts or parking lot sealcoating, reach out to us today.

North/South is the best if possible since the sun moves East to West.

All-weather courts should be sloped in one (1) plane, side to side, end to end, or corner to corner. At a minimum of 1″ in 10′ and a maximum of 1%.

The recommended height is 10′ or 12′.

The height of the center of a tennis court is 3′ 2″

The basic system is three coats. One coat of acrylic resurfacer and two coats of the finish. An extra coat of resurfacer (a total of four coats) will make the surface look fantastic.

Unless the coating shows very little wear, NESCO recommends three coats. If the court is having repair work done, a minimum of three coats is needed. If the coating is not worn, two coats may be sufficient.

It is all alright to wash your tennis court; pressure washing is allowed, but do it gently, or you will leave marks. It is better to wash it a couple of times than to try to wash it all at once with the power on full. NESCO recommends you trim your trees back so mold does not grow in the shaded areas.

For tennis courts, it’s important to allow time for surface oils to dissipate before beginning any parking lot sealcoating or related treatments. In our experience, most manufacturers recommend waiting at least 28 days after installation. This waiting period helps ensure proper adhesion and long-term performance of the coating. Applying the sealer too soon can lead to bonding issues and premature wear.

Typically, it is the moisture in the ground and the frost pushing the foundation up. That is why a bell-shaped net post foundation is best. It is harder for the frost to push the foundation up.

A) The membrane systems, such as Riteway and Armor, are the best systems to use. You will get many years out of this repair, provided the court does not have moisture issues.

B) Materials mixed with concrete and acrylic crack fillers are very inexpensive and not very flexible. They look great at first and tend to fail during the first or second winter.

C) Hot rubber can be used, but is not recommended. As the color-coating materials do not bond to the rubber, once the rubber is installed onto a court, you are very limited in other repairs. This can also affect gameplay.

To learn more information about crack filling and parking lot sealcoating, contact New England Sealcoating soon!

The court must be thoroughly cleaned first. Pressure washing is many times needed. Then the coatings are applied by squeegee.

The lines are laid out, two pieces of masking tape are put down 2″ apart, and then the lines are hand-painted by brush. Spraying the lines leaves a fuzzy edge.

Yes, we recommend you take it down if you are not using the court. If you are using the court, loosen the tension, leaving the net up. The tension will help the frost heave the net post foundation out of the ground.

In most cases, everything required for your court repairs can be carried to and from your court by the crews. If paving is needed, access for equipment will be necessary.

Every court is a little different, and factors like how often it’s used and how important appearance is can affect how frequently it requires attention. In our experience, most people choose to resurface their courts every 5 to 8 years. If the court has visible cracks, we recommend having it inspected every 2 to 3 years to stay on top of maintenance. Just like with parking lot sealcoating, regular upkeep helps preserve the surface and extend its lifespan.

Scroll to Top