When we seal cracks in pavement, the sealer is a very thick tar emulsion that is then spread thin. The seal coat material bonds well with the crack filling material but those sealed cracks will show up through the sealer. It’s just how the materials work together. The goal of the effort is to seal the parking lot to protect the pavement and avoid costly re-paving situations.

Some less-reputable fly-by-night sealcoaters will sacrifice sealing cracks and only seal. We at Smith’s Paving and Sealcoating do it right - we seal the cracks even though they will be noticeable. Our goal is to protect your pavement and our customers ask us back every two years because we do it right.

The first rule is safety and there are general rules your architect and city will require you to follow, especially when it comes to handicap spaces and walkways. We have the commonly used stencils and spacing requirements for most situations to keep these areas safe for you and your customers.

The second rule of thumb is parking space size - there are two options: regular spacing with just a general 4” line separating spaces or if you prefer, two lines can be used between spaces to denote “executive” parking that gives each space a few more inches.

The third rule of thumb is restripe your parking lot each year: it’s safety and makes your business look good. Striping is one of the easiest and surprisingly inexpensive things property owners can do to make their parking lot look good. Our striping crews can typically get a parking lot done for a medium size business or apartment building or school in just a few hours. Here are a few helpful articles about properly striping your parking lot, such as handicap requirements and general standards in striping.

Potholes happen. Potholes are indicative of significant problems within the pavement or underneath the pavement. Potholes pose significant risks to businesses and homeowners - if a car is damaged or a person trips and falls, what comes next usually involves lawyers and insurance companies. Fixing small shallow potholes can often be done using “hot mix” patching. This is a process where proper pavement mix is heated and applied to the pothole and properly tamped down so it cools and binds with the surrounding pavement.

Deeper potholes may require removing the damaged pavement, especially if erosion of the soil underneath has occurred. Stone and gravel can repair the erosion and new pavement can repair the damaged area. Learn about potholes.

Cracking is very common but it is very important to seal cracks. Unsealed cracks let in water and ice that can erode an entire section of pavement. The best solution is to fill the cracks using something called “hot crack fill.”  This is essentially hot tar with particles that bind with the surrounding asphalt. Done properly with a heat lance and smoothing it out, filled cracks are durable and hold up well for years. Sealing parking lot cracking, plus a fresh coat of blacktop sealer, will protect your pavement.

If cracks are left unsealed, it can develop into a condition called “alligator pavement” where there are so many cracks it looks like the back of an alligator. In these situations, it is often better to dig out the damaged pavement and repair it properly (and seal the seams!) Learn more about asphalt cracking.

Sealcoating is a protective layer applied to the top of blacktop pavement. Many people don’t realize that asphalt is porous and is under constant assault from the sun, rain, snow / salt (especially in Albany and the Capital Region) and wear-and-tear. This lets water get into and under the pavement, producing cracks and crumbling the pavement. The best way to protect your investment in asphalt is to sealcoat your parking lot and driveway every 2 years. It also makes your grey/worn pavement look great. You can learn more about sealcoating.

Customers ask us all the time: Should I Pave or Sealcoat?

It would be great to provide a checklist on when to sealcoat vs paving. Of course, the answer is “it depends.”

Sealcoating is a protective measure, done every couple of years to keep out water and ice from beneath the pavement. Along with crack filling and crack sealing, sealcoating is the best way to protect your parking lot and blacktop.

We often see different conditions in a single parking lot. One high traffic area or low spot may require paving repairs, while the rest of the parking lot may only require sealcoating. Many times we can seal coat part and make repairs when the damage is too severe.

Good examples of too much damage is crumbling asphalt (knocking blacktop loose with a boot heel) and also alligator cracking where the pavement mix itself was somehow compromised when it was applied and heaving or water damage create what looks like the back of an alligator. Those sorts of situations usually require paving solutions; sealcoating cannot “repair” those situations.

As long as there are not too many seams created between old and new pavement, seal coating and pavement repairs can work nicely together. It’s tempting to save money by patch working a parking lot - sealing parts while re-paving other parts. You have to be careful as patchwork produces more seams and more seams means more water can infiltrate beneath the pavement - too many patches will not only look bad but not solve the underlying problem.

Should I pave or should I seal coat? Sealcoating cannot repair, it can only prevent, but sealcoating ever two years is much cheaper than paying for new pavement. In the end the answer is always seal coat good blacktop pavement every 2-3 years and you won’t have to keep asking this question every year.

Studies by the Asphalt Sealcoat Institute demonstrate the measurable benefits of preventative maintenance. Periodic crack sealing and sealcoating can more than double the life of your pavement.

Catch Basins provide an essential purpose on all commercial parking lots. When properly installed, they allow water to flow off of the asphalt pavement. Without proper drainage, ice builds up during the winter months causing potential pedestrian slipping liability hazards and heaving of your asphalt as the temperatures rise and fall. During the spring, summer, and fall months it causes puddles and potential damage to the asphalt as water seeps through the cracks into the sub-base  instead of flowing to the catch basins. In addition, the water puddles hide deeper potholes and provide the potential for additional pedestrian tripping and slipping liability hazards. These are serious problems for all businesses and must be both prevented and addressed immediately.

Throughout the year in Upstate NY, catch basins get wear and tear from both water flow erosion and constant vehicle traffic. As a result, it is essential to inspect catch basins every spring to see if there is asphalt spider web cracking around the perimeter of the catch basins or sinking around the catch basins. If there is sinking, cracking around the catch basins and puddles in your parking lot, then you need to have these conditions repaired immediately.

Smith’s Paving and Sealcoating is experienced in all aspects of Commercial Parking Lot Maintenance Assessments (CPLMA). The level of catch basin repairs required will depend on the amount of damage to the entire parking lot. Catch basin repairs generally need both an internal concrete repair and a full depth asphalt milling and paving repair. Our specifications for these repairs have been developed over the years and meet or exceed all industry specifications.

Asphalt patching can be successfully performed from April 15th thru December 10th. Cold patching can be done year round, but is temporary.

Sealcoating should be done between April 15th and October 30th.

Complete repaving should be done between April 15th and November 30th, weather permitting 40-45 degrees

Striping should be done between March 15th and December 15th, but can be done during the winter if the conditions are dry and above freezing.

Hot crack filling can be done 12 months a year as long as the pavement is dry.

There are many factors that lead to premature asphalt pavement deterioration. In no specific order, deterioration factors can include:

  • Original construction quality
  • Heavy loads placed upon the pavement (a fully loaded tractor-trailer or trash truck exerts as much deteriorating force on a pavement as 10,000 cars).
  • Petroleum spills - Since asphalt is an oil based material, any oil based product that is spilled upon it will dissolve the cement that bonds the asphalt together and cause premature failures.
  • Cracks - Asphalt is a flexible pavement and cracks are a natural part of the aging process. Left unfilled, these cracks will allow water penetration into the sub-base which will prematurely cause pot holes and other types of extensive pavement failure.

Keeping commercial asphalt paving areas clean and properly maintained is what successful property management companies do. Studies have shown that cleanliness ranks as one of the most important factors in influencing where people shop. More and more businesses are beginning to recognize that external aesthetics is as equally important, if not more so, than the interior of their stores. In addition to gaining customers, it makes sense business wise too.

In today's highly competitive market, property managers cannot afford the tarnished image caused by lackluster exterior maintenance, and regular Full Depth Pavement Repairs, Hot Crack Filling, Seacoating, and Striping is arguably the most important component contributing to overall looks. Following are some of the many reasons why it is so important to retain Smith’s Paving and Sealcoating to set up a 3-5 year plan on an ongoing basis:

  • Outside parking areas are where business owners hope potential customers will gain a favorable 'first impression.' The appearance of the parking area and surrounding grounds project an image of how the rest of the facility is operated. If the exterior maintenance is filled with cracks and tripping hazards, then potential customers will expect the internal cleanliness and other public areas of the mall or business to be poorly kept as well.
  • People like to patronize a successful business. Obviously, all businesses would choose to have a clean, well striped parking area, all other considerations aside. However, the unwillingness or inability to keep a particular area clean and freshly striped projects an image of not being successful.
  • Maintaining customer loyalty and market share is a never ending process. To develop or retain a competitive edge it is imperative that the grounds on the exterior of the business are well kept.
  • Even the most beautiful landscaping is negated by a parking lot cluttered with debris and spider webbed asphalt with grass growing from it. Maintaining the aesthetics of a business and customer parking lot requires a combination of commercial asphalt milling, Hot crack filling, vacuum sweeping, and striping yearly for traffic control safety purposes.
  • Correct management of storm water catch basin repairs for proper runoff is another concern for owners of parking areas today. Asphalt paving is "critical" for catch basin storm water runoff, and a commercial parking lot maintenance  program can help to ensure the business is doing all it can to minimize water puddles in the parking lot and tripping hazards during winter months.
  • When a parking area is clean to begin with, shoppers are less likely to throw trash out of their cars when they come to shop or when leaving.
  • Sand, dirt and other trash are abrasive, and will shorten the useful life of asphalt pavement, sealcoating, striping, etc.
  • Keeping litter picked up reduces the chances of customer injuries, as well as the business' potential liability in any resultant lawsuits.
  • When cracks, grass, and debris are allowed on pavement, it traps moisture which starts deteriorating the paving material. If enough dirt collects plants may begin to grow, causing spider web and alligator cracking in both cement and asphalt.
  • Long periods between striping can increase risk of injury to patrons and result in increased risk of liability to businesses as crosswalks, handicap areas, directional arrows, traffic markings and other painted features wear thin.

In summary, long term parking lot asphalt maintenance is vital for commercial property managers to look at long term. Money in the long run can be saved since sealcoating, proper asphalt repairs, and hot crack-filling prolong the life of commercial parking lots by up to 2 times the life of an unmaintained parking lot.

If you are a commercial property manager who is interested in a 3-5 yr maintenance contract, please give us a call at 518-266-9526 or e-mail us.

This is a popular and cost effective asphalt paving resurfacing option because it allows the surrounding finish elevations to remain the same, while being significantly less expensive than a complete dig out. We begin this process by milling or grinding to a specific depth to remove the damaged spider web top coat asphalt. The milled material is loaded on the trucks and hauled from the site. Some areas where vegetation growth or water damage have caused the binder to break may require a full-depth asphalt repair. These areas are where the binder areas are either cracked or damaged or the sub-base has geological factors, such as clay or other water problems. Sometimes the weight of the milling machine and trucks hauling away the milling will proof test these areas. Site inspection is recommended to confirm all areas of concern. Once these areas are defined, a full depth repair is performed at these areas in order to stabilize the sub-base and parking lot’s binder structural integrity. Once the milling is complete and full depth repairs are completed, the surface is cleaned via vacuum sweeping, street metal and catch basins are prepared, hot emulsion tack coat is applied, the surface is true and leveled for drainage purposes, and a new compacted asphalt layer can  be installed. This new surface can be line striped and reopened to customers faster then any other paving method. If properly done and with proper maintenance, this parking lot will last as long as a new parking lot installation.

If you want to see a video of how this is done, please go to our video section "See Us in Action"

Proper sub-base compaction and drainage is key to commercial parking lot Pavement life cycle - It will allow your new parking lot to last 20-30 yrs.

Commercial property and facility management managers must consider the quality of their parking lots sub-bases and under drainage designs before they install new asphalt paving. The way this is done is by ordering a soil sample and core drill sample of the existing lot by a qualified engineering company.

If this is not done, the facility manager runs the risk of costly un-approved add-ons, once the parking lot is excavated and the sub-base integrity is discovered. This then delays work until add-ons can be approved and causes costly delays to paving contractors. Most paving contractors advise their clients of this potential problem in advance, but have no way of quantifying it until the asphalt is removed.

Under drainage is the most popular solution to a clay or high water table sub-base. Corrigated 4" diameter socked under drain is usually installed and connected to the existing storm sewer system for proper drainage of the sub-grade.

Of particular concern is the intersection of a road at the apron or an edge where new pavement meets old pavement. These areas are of concern because the seal will not be sound if the adjouning asphalt is comprimised.

Before a typical 2 course porous asphalt job is begun, a compaction test should be performed by a qualified engineering company to ensure the sub-base has been properly installed. Geo-Tech Stabilization fabric and 6"-12" of NYS Approved Type 2 Crusher run should be installed in 4" lifts to ensure proper compaction. Sub-base and the asphalt specifications depend on the traffic loads.

Smith's Paving and Sealcoating provides our customers with resources and experience that can solve these types of challenges.

Smith's Paving and Sealcoating will provide you with a "Smith's Commercial Parking Lot Maintenance Assessment" (CPLMA). We will explain our recommendations in person on site. If your parking lot has spider web or alligator like cracks, these areas will need to be removed and repaired. If they are not repaired, these cracks will grow through any new asphalt re-surfacing. Our recommendations are determined on the condition of the sub-base, condition of the existing asphalt pavement, weight of the existing traffic flow, and our customers budget.

Our recommendations will be explained in writing and then we put the Smith's Specifications in writing in a written contract. Smith's Paving and Sealcoating is not always the least expensive because we install the pavement to the specifications we recommend. For details about our specifications, please call us at (518) 266-9526.

No. New pavement must be allowed to cure before you can properly sealcoat the parking lot. Six months to one year is generally enough time to cure the asphalt to accept sealcoat. The cost for sealcoating should be put in the budget for the following year. If it goes without sealing, newly installed, unsealed asphalt can absorb oil, gas and other chemicals or be damaged by weather before it's treated. Waiting more than a year is not advised.

Not all sealcoat is created equally and certainly not all sealcoat companies are created equally.  We at Smith's Paving and Sealcoating are serious about our products, our service and our reputation in the community, as well as your satisfaction. If price is your only determining factor, we may not be for you. We spend more time cleaning and preparing the asphalt surface and cracks for sealing than the competition. We have a selection of commercial sealcoat products to choose from depending on our customers preferences.

We offer NEYRA Pave Shield, which is a sand base slurry, environmentally friendly, enhances your property's value, is user friendly, extends the life of your asphalt. We also offer Copeland Action Paver Sealer, which protects asphalt from oils and gases, extends life of your black top, sand space for skip resistance and help fill in the pores of your asphalt. Hot crack filling and asphalt repairs are usually recommended with all of our Commercial Parking Lot Sealcoating Assessments.

Commercial property owners commonly inquire if a parking lot can be asphalt paved during the colder months.

 Asphalt paving can be done during the cold months as long as the ground is NOT frozen. When asphalt arrives to a job site it is extremely hot and if it’s applied while the ground is frozen it will not roll to grade well, instead the asphalt will immediately begin to stiffen or freeze up as it’s poured onto the frozen ground.

If by some chance your asphalt is put down on a commercial parking lot by a commercial paver and is rolled to grade while the ground is frozen it will result in a poor quality job that will break down rapidly.

If the temperature outside is above 40 degrees and the ground isn’t frozen and has a proper water/clay free sub-base, your asphalt paving contractor can still successfully install new asphalt for a commercial parking lot. The surface air temperatures will not affect the rate of hardening of the asphalt material in the same manner that a frozen ground below the asphalt will. Therefore you asphalt contractor will be able to roll the asphalt to grade and achieve the right level of compaction.

Bottom line is that if the ground is frozen please do not allow your asphalt paving company to apply the asphalt.

The first application applied within 6 months to a year on a newly paved lot will provide protection for approximately 2 years. If the parking lot is 10 years old and was never sealed, you might only get 1 year from the first application, but 2 to 3 years from subsequent sealcoat applications. Additionally, variables such as water runoff, excess traffic and severe temperature will play a role in the life of your sealcoat.

How Do Cracks Grow and When is it Time to Crack Fill or Do Major Asphalt Repairs?

Cracking in pavements occurs when stress in the layer exceeds the strength of the material. Cracks provide paths for surface water to infiltrate and weaken the pavement structure. The cause of the crack and its activity play a dominant role in determining the success of crack sealing or filling operations.

Cracking may be associated with various distress mechanisms, ie, cracking may be caused by traffic or the environment. Crack types include the following: fatigue, longitudinal, transverse, block, reflective, edge, and slippage.

Fatigue Cracking: These cracks are generally referred to as alligator cracks as the pattern is similar to that of an alligator’s skin. In South America, it’s called crocodile cracking. Fatigue cracking is load-related, ie, it is the result of repetitive traffic loads or high deflections often due to weak and/or wet base or subgrade. This type of cracking is indicative of a structural failure and, if not repaired, develops into potholes and pavement disintegration. Neither crack sealing nor crack filling can remedy this type of structural failure. Longitudinal cracking in the wheel paths is often the first visible sign that alligator cracking is starting to develop.

Longitudinal Cracks: These cracks run longitudinally along the pavement, and are caused by thermal stress and/or traffic loadings. They occur frequently at joints between adjacent travel lanes or between a travel lane and the shoulder, where density is lower (voids are higher). Longitudinal cracking may be associated with raveling and poor adhesion or stripping. These cracks can be effectively treated with crack sealants.

Transverse Cracks: These cracks occur perpendicular to the centerline of the pavement, or laydown direction. Transverse cracks are environmentally induced, ie, by shrinkage at low temperatures. Thermal cracks often penetrate the entire layer and typically widen over time. These cracks can be effectively treated with crack sealants, but deep cracks should be filled first to avoid excessive application of crack sealant.

Block Cracking: These cracks form regular blocks  and are the result of age hardening of the asphalt coupled with shrinkage during cold weather. They too can be effectively treated with crack sealant.

Reflection Cracking: Reflection cracks are caused by cracks, or other discontinuities, in an underlying pavement surface that propagate up through an overlay due to movement or differential stresses across the crack. They “mirror” the underlying crack pattern and must be treated according to the original distress mechanism.

Edge Cracking: These are crescent-shaped or fairly continuous cracks that intersect the unbound pavement edge and are typically located within 2 ft of the pavement edge, adjacent to an unpaved shoulder. Edge cracking may be caused by overloading at the unbound edge of the pavement, shear failure, or erosion (loss of support) in the shoulder. Generally, this type of cracking cannot be effectively treated with crack sealant.

Slippage Cracks: These cracks produce a characteristic crescent shape, and are caused when the top layer of the asphalt shears and separates from the underlying material. Slippage cracking is often caused by high deflections and a poor bond between the layers. This type of cracking cannot be effectively treated with crack sealants.

References: FHWA, 2005. Memorandum on Pavement Preservation Definitions, FHWA, September 12, 2005. TRIP, At the Crossroads - Preserving Our Highway Investment, 2007. Caltrans, Maintenance Technical Advisory Guide, Volume I, Flexible Pavement Preservation Second Edition, 2008.

No! While many manufacturers produce "sealcoat", the process, standards and compounds used in the making of seal coat vary greatly. You can buy "sealcoat" at the home improvement store, but it won't last as long.