What Is Seal Coat?

Function

• A seal coat is a layer of materials that is applied to a surface that has just been asphalted. In today's time, seal coating is used by county road departments for most small jobs requiring asphalt. The seal coat is applied using a seal coat distributor attached to the back of a truck, which sprays the seal coat out evenly, or with a squeegee-type tool that is used to spread it out over a surface.

Benefits

• The benefits of seal coating a surface are many. The biggest one of course is that a seal coat, when applied properly and at the right time, can increase asphalt's life by literally years. Seal coating protects the asphalt from aging, as well as collecting water in its pores, as it is a filler of sorts. The freeze/melt process of winter can wreak havoc on an asphalt parking lot, for example, if it has not been properly seal coated.

Identifying Factors

• Seal coating is made of literally dozens of materials and chemicals. Usually seal coating will be made of either coal tar or asphaltic emulsion, fibers, pigments, sand, and fillers. The number of chemicals and materials in seal coating varies greatly, depending on the manufacturer and its use. For example, rarely will a seal coat have both asphaltic and tar emulsion, because each is used for different purposes.

Considerations

• One main thing to consider when contemplating a seal coat for an asphalt area you own is whether or not this section of asphalt gets a lot of fast-moving traffic. Seal coating is not needed on highways, for example, but is better on parking lots, driveways, road shoulders and walkways. It is recommended that seal coating be applied to asphalt after six to 12 months to make sure the asphalt is properly settled.

Potential

• Seal coating can even potentially be an effective method for protecting roofing in some cases. This is especially true for those who have a metal or concrete roof. Seal coating protects from oxidation, which metal roofs especially suffer from, so seal coating a metal roof may extend its life as well. Asphalt and concrete are so similar in makeup that seal coating can be equally effective on concrete materials. It can be a messy but cost-saving means for protecting your roofing material, minimizing costs for repairs later.