Maintaining your driveway is important – because let’s be honest – it’s expensive to repave! Sealcoating plays an important role in protecting and preserving your blacktop. Though often forgotten, blacktop is an investment, just like your yard, and should be maintained so a costly replacement doesn't creep up on you.
Blacktop sealants are water-based emulsions with a base stock that is typically made of asphalt combined with fillers and other additives that provide added strength and flexibility. ALL Super Seal™ products are low VOC, asphalt based and contain no coal tar. Blacktop sealant can be considered a 'shield' designed to prevent damage from things such as water penetration, UV rays, weather and chemicals. Please remember: not all sealers are equal and we pride ourselves on having the highest quality products on the market. We strongly recommend you do it yourself as you can be assured of receiving a high quality product: you never know what a contractor may be applying! (Is it watered down? sprayed on versus squeegeed?).
Before understanding why blacktop needs to be maintained it's important to understand blacktop. Blacktop is made up of mixture of stone aggregate and liquid asphalt. The liquid asphalt or binder, is basically a glue for the aggregate. As time goes by, that blacktop is exposed to many factors that dry out and damage blacktop: sun, rain, freeze/thaw cycles, de-icing salts, gas, oil, traffic, etc. All of these elements will gradually break down the asphalt binder or 'glue' that holds the aggregate together. With the continuous loss of this 'glue', the aggregates in the top layer begins to ravel and will show surface cracks. If these cracks are not properly filled, and the pavement is not sealed…in time water will penetrate the sub-base causing more cracks, ruts, potholes and eventual failure of the blacktop.
Just like a high quality paint job, prepping the blacktop is crucial -- edging, cleaning and repairing all damage first before applying the protective layer or 'shield' of sealer is critical to ensuring a longer lasting and aesthetically pleasing blacktop!
The goal of our products are ultimately to sustain and extend the life of the pavement. As our products sustain asphalt, we employ a sustain philosophy in our manufacturing processes. Some of the highlights include: using recycled content when we are able, low energy efficient machinery, sourcing locally, using no harsh chemicals and only manufacture low VOC products.
