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Everything You Need to Know About Striping and Asphalt Sealcoating

Keeping a parking lot in fantastic shape requires a thorough, multi-pronged approach. Good maintenance involves several key care tasks, but two of the most important are striping and asphalt sealcoating. In this blog, you’ll learn what these services are and how they fit into a large asphalt care routine.

What Is Frederick MD Asphalt Sealcoating?

Asphalt sealcoating is a seemingly simple service that has a massive impact on long-term pavement care and reliability. It’s a form of preventive maintenance that involves applying several thin coats of sealer over your entire parking lot.

The best asphalt sealcoating companies use premium sealers, typically consisting of coal tar or an asphalt emulsion. After preparing your pavement, they’ll spread thin coats to build up coverage. Once the sealer cures, it forms a protective barrier that shields your asphalt against weathering and wear.

Asphalt is tough, but non-stop traffic, UV exposure, rainfall, and the presence of corrosive chemicals can lead to rapid deterioration. The binders can oxidize, which makes your asphalt more susceptible to cracking and damage.

Sealcoating in Maryland helps prevent that. It keeps your pavement pliable and resistant to harm. When done routinely, it can extend your pavement’s lifespan, mitigate the risk of severe damage, and even help you save thousands on lifetime care costs. The best asphalt sealcoating companies also use this service to keep your asphalt beautiful, restoring the look of faded, discolored paving.

What Is Striping?

Striping is a professional service that involves applying lines and pavement markings. It’s what turns a barren piece of asphalt into a functional parking lot complete with stalls, pedestrian crossing zones, predictable travel aisles, and more. High-quality striping not only looks good, but it also helps to improve safety, traffic efficiency, and overall accessibility.

You’ll invest in professional striping not long after pavement construction. However, you’ll also need to hire contractors to update and refresh the paint regularly. Even high-quality paints will fade with time and exposure. Striping ensures they’re always vibrant and code-compliant.

Of course, you can also hire striping contractors whenever you want to make changes or improvements. The best striping companies can assess your current traffic flow and make adjustments to address congestion or optimize space.

Do Maintenance Contractors Offer Both Striping and Asphalt Sealcoating Services?

Striping and sealcoating are two distinct services. However, the best asphalt sealcoating companies will also offer striping services. Many offer comprehensive parking lot maintenance, covering all the core services to make your life as easy as possible.

Having sealcoating companies in Frederick that also handle your striping simplifies scheduling and billing. Furthermore, it ensures consistent quality across the board and prevents any service delays that could impact your business.

How Often Do You Need Striping and Asphalt Sealcoating?

You’ll need striping and sealcoating in Maryland throughout your pavement’s lifespan. However, when you’ll need them depends on several factors.

Sealcoating companies in Frederick typically recommend service every three to five years for newer parking lots. Older surfaces and those with significant exposure and traffic volume may require service every two or three years. Because asphalt changes as it ages, there’s no single timeline to follow.

The best approach is to have contractors visit your property annually for an inspection. They can determine when your pavement needs Frederick MD asphalt sealcoating, ensuring you invest in service at the right time.

Striping service frequency depends on the type of paint used, exposure levels, and traffic stress. Generally, contractors recommend service once existing paint loses about 25% of its visibility. For standard water- and solvent-based paints, that’s every 18 to 24 months. However, premium alternatives may last years without losing their vibrancy.

Where Do These Services Fit Into a Comprehensive Maintenance Routine?

Asphalt sealcoating and striping are two critical services you can’t afford to ignore.

Frederick MD asphalt sealcoating should come before striping. However, it should occur after you complete other necessary care tasks, including surface cleaning, crack filling, and general repairs. Sealcoating in Maryland is only successful if applied to smooth, durable pavement.

Once the sealer cures, you can proceed with striping. High-quality sealers will cover up existing paint, so you’ll need to hire contractors to reapply it regardless of how visible it was beforehand.

Let Quality Striping & Sealing handle all your asphalt sealcoating and striping needs. We’re a full-service maintenance contractor offering services like driveway and commercial sealcoating, crack filling, asphalt repairs, parking lot striping, stenciling, wheel stops, signage installation and more. With over 30 years of expertise, you can expect nothing but the best from our dedicated care team. Unlike other sealcoating companies in Frederick that are only interested in collecting your money, we’re here to keep your parking lot safe, functional, and beautiful for years to come.

Call Quality Striping & Sealing at (833) 903-5337 today to learn more and request a free, no-obligation quote. You can also submit our online form or email us at angela@qualitystripingandsealing.com.