Another great benefit of sealcoating your asphalt is it acts as a protective barrier. Just like staining a deck or clear coating a paint job; it prevents water and other abrasives from damaging the surface leading to costly repairs. Sealer not only protects the surface it also rejuvenates the pavement within. Sealer is to asphalt as sunscreen with aloe is to your skin.
It often goes unspoken or overlooked how sealer can replenish the asphalt binder or glue in your pavement. You might notice that your driveway was a rich black color when it was first laid or installed. Over time the harsh ultra violet rays from the sun can dry out your asphalt causing it to ravel and become brittle. Asphalt is a simple makeup of stone and sand held together by asphalt glue or binder. Once the binder is dried up your asphalt begins to come apart from within. The stones will start to separate from the sand leaving your driveway more susceptible to chemicals and cracking. Raveling is evident in oxidized driveways by the formation of dirt and gravel piles at the bottom of the driveway or near the edges. Don't panic if this is your driveway, although it would have been better if you sealed your driveway sooner this damage is not irreversible. Sealing your asphalt with a refined coal tar emulsion sealer containing sand (slurry mix) will not only restore the rich black color of the asphalt. The sand will also help fill in the voids and imperfections making your surface a lock tight unit again.
Amongst it's sun blocking/adhesion improving capabilities there is also it's chemical resistance which will benefit your driveway. A driveway sealed with a refined coal tar sealer can withstand any chemical you can throw at it (Oil, antifreeze, transmission fluid, brake fluid, gear oil, bleach, ect.). A sealed driveway will repel any of these chemicals. They will merely sit on the surface until they are cleaned, evaporated, or washed away from the rain. An unsealed driveway will absorb these fluids, and they will penetrate your asphalt and begin to break down the glue from within. This will lead to soft asphalt that can no longer handle surface friction like car tires or more abrasives like oil. This will eventually lead to potholes, sunken spots (bird baths) or cracks.
Are you impressed yet? There is still more. Sealer will not only make your driveway resistant to chemicals it will make it impervious to water as well. Think of a sealed driveway as windshield with a nice coat of Rain X. The water will merely bead up and runoff your driveway instead of running down into the sub base. A driveway left untreated will fall victim to water. Runoff from your roof is enough enough force to make a trench the entire width of your driveway in front of your garage doors. We have seen this many times, and it is never an easy fix. It can also be quiet costly to repair. Rain continually pounding down on your driveway will to begin to erode the surface of your asphalt. Small stones and sand will begin break away from the surface. Now add this to your already oxidized grey driveway and you have yourself a problem
So what have we learned today from another great article about the benefits of sealcoating? Sealer protects the surface from the sun, water, and harsh chemicals. It also reinvigorates the asphalt binder within making a stronger, live longer driveway. The key benefits of a refined coal tar sealer emulsion are:
-Restores asphalt binder (glue that holds stone and sand together)
-Resists harsh chemicals
-Resists harsh UV rays
-Resists water penetration
-Prevents raveling (disintegration of asphalt)
