Sealant manufacturers state that 70 degrees Fahrenheit is the ideal temperature for sealcoating. They also state that humidity levels should be relatively low and that the fresh sealant should be exposed to several hours of sunshine. Furthermore, there should be no chance of rain for at least the first 24 hours following the application. If you have lived in Central Texas for more than a year, you know that all of these ideal conditions will be not be present on many days. Sealcoating companies are also aware of the scarcity of ideal days, so experienced sealcoating contractors have learned how to deal with the heat and humidity without sacrificing the quality of the work.
(-- removed HTML --) When Is It Too Hot for Sealcoating? (-- removed …show more content…
By the time that overnight lows regularly exceed the minimum acceptable standard for sealcoating, the daytime highs are well beyond the ideal of 70 degrees. Humidity levels are typically at least 65 percent, but sunshine is not normally in short supply. Therefore, the main issues that sealcoating contractors must address are the heat and the humidity.
(-- removed HTML --) Why Is Humidity a Problem? (-- removed HTML --)
The liquid sealant applied to your pavement includes a great deal of water. The water needs to evaporate for the sealcoating to cure and form a protective shell. If the air above the sealant is already saturated with moisture, the water molecules that are trying to escape from the solution have no place to go. The rate of evaporation will be slowed significantly, increasing the time that the pavement will need to remain closed. Sealcoating companies know that the delayed closure can affect your customers, tenants or guests, so they want to avoid delays without impacting quality.
(-- removed HTML --) Why Is Heat a Problem? (-- removed HTML …show more content…
Although this might sound like a good thing, it can actually be very bad. If sealcoating is applied to an extremely hot pavement, flash drying can occur. The sealant may dry before it has a chance to penetrate the pavement's pores, resulting in an inferior bond. Alternatively, the top layer of sealant may dry almost instantly, leaving uncured, moist sealant trapped underneath. Believing the sealant to be cured, the area is allowed to receive traffic. However, the sealcoating is not strong enough to bear vehicles that are turning, accelerating or braking. Tire scuffing, tracking and power steering marks will likely occur, and it is also possible that tires can peel the sealant away, leaving the pavement exposed and unprotected. A reputable sealcoating contractor knows that he will need to make certain adjustments to ensure a high-quality job. (-- removed HTML --) Coping With Summer Weather (-- removed HTML --)
An experienced sealcoating contractor knows how to cope with the heat and humidity when applying sealants. They know that sealant should always be applied in two or more thin coats rather than one thick coat, but it is especially important to keep the coats thin during hot weather. They know ways to cool down a particularly hot pavement before applying the sealcoating. They know that the right aggregate can help control the rate of evaporation. In short, they have learned how to achieve successful
(-- removed HTML --) When Is It Too Hot for Sealcoating? (-- removed …show more content…
By the time that overnight lows regularly exceed the minimum acceptable standard for sealcoating, the daytime highs are well beyond the ideal of 70 degrees. Humidity levels are typically at least 65 percent, but sunshine is not normally in short supply. Therefore, the main issues that sealcoating contractors must address are the heat and the humidity.
(-- removed HTML --) Why Is Humidity a Problem? (-- removed HTML --)
The liquid sealant applied to your pavement includes a great deal of water. The water needs to evaporate for the sealcoating to cure and form a protective shell. If the air above the sealant is already saturated with moisture, the water molecules that are trying to escape from the solution have no place to go. The rate of evaporation will be slowed significantly, increasing the time that the pavement will need to remain closed. Sealcoating companies know that the delayed closure can affect your customers, tenants or guests, so they want to avoid delays without impacting quality.
(-- removed HTML --) Why Is Heat a Problem? (-- removed HTML …show more content…
Although this might sound like a good thing, it can actually be very bad. If sealcoating is applied to an extremely hot pavement, flash drying can occur. The sealant may dry before it has a chance to penetrate the pavement's pores, resulting in an inferior bond. Alternatively, the top layer of sealant may dry almost instantly, leaving uncured, moist sealant trapped underneath. Believing the sealant to be cured, the area is allowed to receive traffic. However, the sealcoating is not strong enough to bear vehicles that are turning, accelerating or braking. Tire scuffing, tracking and power steering marks will likely occur, and it is also possible that tires can peel the sealant away, leaving the pavement exposed and unprotected. A reputable sealcoating contractor knows that he will need to make certain adjustments to ensure a high-quality job. (-- removed HTML --) Coping With Summer Weather (-- removed HTML --)
An experienced sealcoating contractor knows how to cope with the heat and humidity when applying sealants. They know that sealant should always be applied in two or more thin coats rather than one thick coat, but it is especially important to keep the coats thin during hot weather. They know ways to cool down a particularly hot pavement before applying the sealcoating. They know that the right aggregate can help control the rate of evaporation. In short, they have learned how to achieve successful