When Do Winchester VA Asphalt Sealcoating Contractors Start Their Season?
Winchester VA asphalt sealcoating is a transformative service that can breathe new life into your pavement after a rough winter of hard freezes, snow plow activity, road salts, and more. Regular sealcoating safeguards your pavement against these damaging factors and more, mitigating damage while improving overall reliability and longevity. Regular blacktop sealing is important, but sealcoating companies don’t offer service year-round. Experts stop providing service in the winter. So when does asphalt sealcoating in Winchester VA, officially begin?
How Does the Weather Impact Sealcoating?
Asphalt sealing professionals will pay close attention to the weather forecast before they provide service, and there’s a very important reason why. Blacktop sealing products that provide long-term protection for your pavement need time to cure after application, and weather directly impacts that curing process. Formulations vary, but sealers can be as much as 70 percent water by volume. Once applied to pavement, asphalt sealcoating products will cure for 24 to 48 hours, during which the water content slowly evaporates as the asphalt emulsion left behind bonds to the pavement.
In the cooler weather of winter, evaporation slows to a crawl! Blacktop sealing products can’t properly, resulting in a weak bond that doesn’t last. Instead of the durable final product you want, you get something that flakes and peels quickly, offering lackluster protection. Rain and snow can also wash away sealer, preventing it from bonding. The same goes for freezing temperatures. Due to all those challenges, asphalt sealcoating experts don’t provide service in the winter. They wait until conditions are consistently warm and dry to ensure great results.
What Are the Ideal Conditions for Asphalt Sealcoating?
You already know it’s near impossible to do asphalt sealing in the winter, but what conditions do contractors prefer? The best time to seal asphalt paving is when it’s warm and dry. The “sweet spot” is around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. However, asphalt sealcoating companies can work in temperatures as low as around 55 degrees. On the upper end of the spectrum, anything above 90 degrees is too hot.
It’s important to remember that contractors need conditions to be stable throughout the application and curing process. Your asphalt sealing will suffer if temperatures dip to 55 degrees or lower at night. Temperatures must remain good for at least two days after application.
Humidity can also affect the process. Too much moisture in the air will slow evaporation and curing, ruining the final results of blacktop sealing. Contractors prefer relative humidity levels of around 50 percent with zero chance of precipitation.
When Do Contractors Begin Asphalt Sealcoating in Winchester VA?
There’s no official start date for the sealcoating season. Conditions change every year, and Mother Nature can be predictable. Therefore, the start of springtime sealcoating can change from year to year. Sealcoating companies typically look to historical weather data and closely monitor the forecast to determine when conditions will be stable enough to provide service.
Asphalt sealcoating in Winchester VA usually begins in May and lasts until late October when temperatures cool again.
When you need asphalt sealcoating done right, turn to Quality Striping & Sealing. We’re among the most experienced sealcoating companies serving Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland, offering five-star service since 1994. We know how to do things right, ensuring long-lasting protection and beauty. In addition to asphalt sealcoating, we’re available for crack filling, repairs, parking lot striping, stencils, maintenance, and more.
Give your asphalt paving the protection it needs and deserves. Call Quality Striping & Sealing today at (833)966-7325 for a free, no-obligation quote. You can also reach our team using our online form or email info@qualitystripingandsealing.com.
