Most paving companies are used to performing certain tasks at night. For example, it is not uncommon for contractors to perform repairs on a busy interstate, repave a city street or stripe a parking lot at night. However, if you want to make a reputable asphalt contractor uncomfortable, tell him that you need him to apply sealcoating at night.
Asphalt Sealcoating At Night: Yes Or No?
Sealcoating Is a Sensitive Product
To understand the problem with sealcoating at night, it might be helpful to understand more about sealants. Sealants are shipped by the manufacturer as powders; the contractor adds water and other ingredients to create a liquid that is then applied to the pavement. Once the liquid has dried and cured, the sealant turns into a tough, hard film that acts as a shield to protect the asphalt. However, to cure properly, the water in the sealant must evaporate. At night, the temperatures are cooler and the humidity levels are typically higher than during the day, making it more difficult for evaporation to occur. Furthermore, the UV rays emitted by the sun help the sealant cure properly. Since there are so many factors at night that make it more difficult for sealcoating to dry — which affects the quality of the cured sealcoating — the sealant will not last as long.
Alternatives to Sealcoating at Night
An asphalt sealing job can cause challenges for customers who have to close an area during the process. Fortunately, asphalt contractors can be very creative when it comes to ways to minimize traffic disruptions. For example, if a business needs its parking lot sealed, it might be possible to do the work when the business is closed for a holiday or apply sealant to one section of the lot at a time. Another possible option would be for the contractor to perform the crack filling, cleaning and other prep work the night before to expedite the sealcoating process on the following day.
Sealcoating at Night Offers More Disadvantages than Advantages
Many customers think that if sealcoating is applied at night, the area will be ready for use the next morning. However, this is not the case; the sealcoating will still need to be exposed to sunlight for several hours to finalize the curing process. Until the curing is complete, the sealant will remain tacky, allowing pedestrians to track the sealant inside. In addition to the other disadvantages, the manufacturer’s warranty may not cover sealant that is applied at night. Given all of the problems that arise from sealcoating at night, most reputable sealcoating contractors would rather turn down the work than deliver a substandard, ineffective job.
Alpha Paving is an Austin paving company and we apply more gallons of sealcoating each year than any other contractor in Texas. We offer a wide range of services in addition to asphalt sealcoating, including crack repairs, asphalt paving, road construction, parking lot striping, street maintenance and concrete work. Our customers include numerous retailers, apartment complexes, HOAs, office parks, airports, hospitals, churches, manufacturing facilities, hotels, sports venues, schools and restaurants. If you have more questions about Asphalt Sealcoating At Night: Yes Or No?, or would like a free quote, call (512) 677-9001 or complete the online form.