Is your driveway or parking lot starting to show wear and tear? Are you looking for ways to protect it, before it starts to look worn out? Although your friends and acquaintances may have their own ideas on the process, it's good to do your own research. Here are some things you might have heard, along with the truth behind them:
Painting is as good as seal coating: Seal coating is a protective liquid made of coal, petroleum and acrylic and is specifically designed to adhere to asphalt. Once dried, it binds to the asphalt creating a uniform surface so that your asphalt surface is as impervious as a new one. In contrast, paint doesn't bond like seal coating. Paint can peels and weathers away relatively quickly, allowing the asphalt to be exposed to the damaging effects of rain and snow. Paint can also be eroded away each time a vehicle drives over it. It will start to develop wear spots where tires make daily contact with the paint.
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Seal coating prevents deterioration of the asphalt bed in case of vehicle gas or oil leaks, by preventing the contaminants from soaking into the asphalt bed. It also helps prevent cracks from occurring due to freeze-and-thaw cycles during winter by providing a barricade that won't allow the moisture to reach the asphalt. It can also add stability to weakest part of an asphalt installation: its edges. It helps to prevent the edges from breaking off due to lack of support and can strengthen them so they don't break as easily. Seal coating also prevents seeds from sprouting in small fissures that you may not otherwise noticed until a weed appears in your