Sealing vs Paving

The overall purpose for sealing is to maintain the integrity of your pavement and ensure the surface and base layers of the asphalt are not compromised by the weather. Our sealer is designed to adhere to the binder holding the aggregate within the asphalt together. This binder naturally deteriorates over time as it is used and abused by daily traffic. Our sealer will help preserve this binder within the pavement and minimize its deterioration over time. 

If paving is conducted properly, then asphalt has a lifespan of approximately 20 years. This lifespan is heavily influenced by the amount of daily traffic the pavement receives and the weight of the traffic (example: daily cars vs. semi-trucks). By properly sealing your parking lot, residential driveway, or recreational pavement on our recommended schedule of 2 years, the lifespan of your pavement can be increased by 8-15 years on average.

When considering the overall cost of maintenance to maintain pavement for 30 years with regular sealcoating applications versus replacing with new asphalt, it becomes more apparent why sealing is cost effective and practical. The cost to pave a parking lot can range between $7 to $13 per square foot while a seal can range between $0.10 to $0.25 per square foot. By sealing your pavement properly and on a regular schedule, you will be able to extend the duration between paving sessions and save a significant amount of money over time.

When is it time to pave? This determination relies on multiple factors. When assessing the lot, CK Services looks for the age of the asphalt, the amount of binder left, and excessive cracking. Each of these individual factors can be significant enough to rule out sealing as a viable option to protect the lot. Below will explain each factor:

Age: If paving was conducted properly with the appropriate depth, then the age and wear of the asphalt can be estimated by the amount of top coat remaining on the parking lot. If the top coat of the pavement is an inch or less in overall thickness, then it is time to be replaced. If the pavement is not replaced, the lack of thickness can result in the topcoat breaking and flaking off to create potholes and other surface damage.

Amount of Binder: Since our binder is designed to adhere to the binder within the pavement and not to the asphalt aggregates, the lack of binder will not allow sealer to properly hold to the surface. This will result in more frequent sealing applications and shorter lifespan of the sealer. This increases the cost of maintenance and becomes impractical to maintain. A lack of binder can be determined if the surface of the pavement is flaking off and the small aggregates are accumulating more excessively on the surface or in areas where water flows to, such as: edges, water drain boxes, or low areas within the lot.

Excessive Cracking: Paving is likely the solution if there is a tremendous amount of linear cracks on the parking lot or driveway or if alligator cracking is starting to overtake the pavement. If the pavement is primarily linear cracks, then the determination to pave is typically based on the total amount of cracks present. The typical cost to fill cracks with rubber can be between $0.60 to $2.00 per linear foot. This is based on total volume, depth, width, and the need for backer rod. The abundance of alligator cracks means there is an overall base issue with the pavement and it needs addressed. While alligator cracks can be covered if there are less frequent, the areas will eventually have to be replaced with new base and asphalt.