When you own an apartment building, you want the grounds and parking lot to be in good repair. This helps your tenants have pride in their living area, which can entice them to take better care of your property. In addition to making your property more attractive, maintaining your parking lot by sealcoating it prolongs the life of the asphalt. Here are some things to know about having a sealcoat applied to your parking lot.

How Does Asphalt Sealcoating Work?

A sealcoat is a thin layer that adds a protective surface coating. Since the sealcoat is thin, repairs have to be done to cracks and holes before the coating is applied or the damaged areas will show through. In addition, the parking lot should be cleaned thoroughly before the coating is applied so it adheres well.

Asphalt sealcoating has a dark black color that restores the beauty of your parking lot. More importantly, the coating acts as a waterproof barrier that repels rain so water can't seep in and speed up the development of potholes and cracks.

How Is Asphalt Sealcoating Applied?

Since your tenants park on the lot 24-hours a day, the first step in sealcoating is to come up with a plan for working on the lot. It will probably have to be done in stages by blocking off sections of the lot each day. Sealcoating can be applied in a day, but the contractor may advise you to keep traffic off of the new coating for a day or two.

Depending on the configuration and size of the lot, the coating might be applied by truck or manually with handheld equipment. The coating has to be applied when there is no rain in the forecast and when the weather is not too hot or too cold, so you may need to schedule the work in advance.

How Often Does Your Lot Need Asphalt Sealcoating?

Talk to your asphalt contractor about the timing for sealcoating. You usually have to wait until new asphalt has cured before the first sealcoat is put on. After that, your lot may need to have a new coating put on every year or two; it depends on how much traffic is on your lot and if heavy trucks use the lot. When the asphalt starts to look faded and you see cracks starting to develop, it's probably time for a new sealcoat. If you've been lax about maintaining your lot, you can have a sealcoat put on any time the weather permits as long as holes and cracks are repaired first.

To learn more about asphalt sealcoating, contact a paving contractor near you.