Considering Seal Coating your Parking Lot?

The following recommendations will assist you in getting a better job that lasts longer while protecting the environment

Choose the Right Applicator

• Learn about the company and their track record. Ask the applicator for references and contact the Better Business Bureau or Chamber of Commerce to see if complaints have been lodged against the contractor. Take a few hours and visit some properties that the sealant company has done. Be sure and include a site that is more than a year old.
• Always ask the applicator what warranty is offered with the product and the workmanship. Often products are given a manufacturer’s warranty that may convey to the property owner when applied correctly. Get the warranty in writing before the start of work.
• Sealants come in a variety of packages and product names. Several producers require applicators be trained to apply their product, take a few minutes and inquire as to the applicators expertise.
• Get a written contract or agreement for the work.

Choose the Right Product

• Research the sealant to be used, how long it is likely to last and how it is made. Remember that coal tar containing sealants are banned in Austin and its ETJ. Check the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for information on the sealant ingredients. The company sealing your lot should have the MSDS available
• If you have old coal tar sealant present, consider having it removed prior to re-sealing. Equipment is available in Texas which can remove sealant with a shot blasting process. It can be done if dust is controlled and the removed sealant is disposed of in the trash. This eliminates the possibility of future coal tar pollution from old degrading sealant.
• Consider using a lighter colored sealant. Lighter colored sealant will often reduce the surface temperature of the parking lot. The payoff would be cooler cars for customers and staff parked all day, as well as a reduction in the heat island effect.

Ensure a Good Application

• Be certain that the sealant is applied at a proper dilution. Sealants are produced and designed to work best when the material is properly blended with water and fortifiers. Sealants are offered in concentrated forms as well as pre-diluted. Mixing must be done as recommended for the specific product to avoid premature failure of the application.
• Ask the applicator how long sealing a parking lot and re-striping will take. Some of the alternative sealants take longer to dry than the conventional coal tar based sealants. Often freshly applied asphalt based sealants are abraded quickly by traffic if not fully cured.
• Be certain to turn off the sprinklers, postpone trash/dumpster collection service and deliveries until the sealant has cured. Dried sealant and cured sealant look the same, but they are a world apart when a car drives over it.
• The contractor should not apply sealant when rain is in the forecast. The wash-off of freshly applied sealant is the most potent form of pollution discharge from a parking lot. Report any incidents of sealant wash-off to the 24-Hour Pollution Hotline at 512-974-2550

For additional information of the recommendations provided, please call 512-974-2550.