Blacktop sealcoating is the one thing that most commercial building owners think isn’t necessary for their site’s parking lot. It’s just an added expense! It doesn’t really do anything, it’s just cosmetic! Why bother paying for it at all? Well, you’d be surprised just how important blacktop sealcoating can be, especially when you’ve got a blisteringly hot summer on its way. In fact, there’s nothing better at protecting your investment than a good sealcoat. Here’s why you shouldn’t just dismiss the idea of sealcoating your asphalt parking lot.
It’s Not Just Cosmetic
First things first: yes, blacktop sealcoating will protect the look of your parking lot on a cosmetic level. It keeps ultraviolet rays from blasting the surface of your asphalt, bleaching it that dull grey color and preserving its glossy black sheen. That’s a benefit in and of itself if you consider how much curb appeal plays a role in attracting visitors and customers to a commercial building, but that’s not as important as the non-cosmetic benefits that a good sealcoat can provide your parking lot.
In fact, its ability to repel UV light is especially important for more than just cosmetic reasons. Hot sun beating down on your parking lot day-in and day-out for an entire summer does real, lasting damage to the surface of your parking lot, opening it up to water infiltration and creating an environment that is conducive to cracking. With cold, wet weather creeping in after the summer, cracks will form more quickly, not to mention spread and deepen into potholes more easily, in the absence of a sealcoat protecting your asphalt parking lot.
The Total Cost is Nothing Compared to Patching — or Repaving
The other gripe you hear about blacktop sealcoating is almost always the fact that it’s supposedly expensive. Yes, it’s true that getting your newly-paved parking lot sealcoated will increase the cost of the total job, but the truth is that when you compare the cost of sealcoating to the total cost of repaving an entire lot, or even just patching a section of your lot that has deteriorated over time, the total cost of a good sealcoat is practically nothing in comparison.
Sealcoating, at even its most expensive, might seem like a big investment but if you take into account the size of your lot, it’s just pennies per square foot. This makes it a fraction of the cost of patching or repaving. Additionally, the mere fact that sealcoating extends the overall lifespan of your parking lot by reducing your need to have it patched or repaved for years at a time means that the cost of a sealcoat is spread across those years, making it even more affordable in that context.
Blacktop Sealcoating: A Parking Lot Owner’s Best Friend
Blacktop sealcoating is, hands down, the best investment you could possibly make if you own a building with a parking lot. Provided it’s done by a qualified paving contractor, it keeps your commercial property looking good, but it cuts down long-term maintenance costs by a major percentage. Yes, it does involve an initial investment, but it’s one that’s guaranteed to pay dividends. That’s why getting your parking lot sealcoated before the blistering summer heat shows up is in the best interest for your bottom line.