When it comes to repairing or repaving your commercial or private parking lot, it’s important to know what your sealing options are as well as the fundamental difference when it comes to asphalt sealing vs. sand slurry sealcoating. Any professional contractor should be able to explain the advantages of both, and they should also be able to recommend which one is the best option for your property.
Asphalt Sealing vs. Sand Slurry Sealcoating
Even though asphalt sealing and sand slurry sealcoating are very similar in nature and the two terms are often used interchangeably in the asphalt contracting industry, they’re not one and the same. While both asphalt sealing and sand slurry sealcoating your driveway serve the same purpose of protecting your pavement from external damages, there’s a slight difference in terms of mixtures, application, longevity, cost, and even circumstances in which each one should be used.
Asphalt Sealing
Asphalt Sealing is typically the more widely offered asphalt-protection method for residential properties in Toronto and the GTA. This is because it generally has a lower cost per square foot and is offered by many part-time, low startup, cash-only, uninsured contractors. The finished appearance has a significantly glossier look and is very slippery when wet, unlike the sand slurry sealcoat which is flat black and textured for a non-slip finish.
The application equipment consists of a small fabricated tank, or old oil tank that holds an oil based spray that is applied onto the asphalt surface by a pressure washer type spray nozzle. Oil-based asphalt sealing material has a thin consistency so that it can be sprayed through a very fine spray tip that minimizes the product applied to achieve maximum profit for the contractor. Unfortunately, even the highest quality oil-based asphalt sealer doesn’t last more than six months to one year and needs to be freshened up more annually. Once applied, both asphalt sealing and sand slurry sealcoating need about 24 hours to cure.
Sand Slurry Sealcoating
Unlike asphalt sealing, sand slurry sealcoating has a non-slip, jet black texture once it’s completely cured. Despite the fact that the upfront costs for sand slurry sealcoating are higher than for asphalt sealing, the cost per year of service is much lower and will save the property owner significant maintenance costs over the long run. A well-done and properly maintained professional sand slurry sealcoat application should last you for about five to seven years without requiring additional applications or expensive repairs. Sand slurry sealcoat has up to three pounds of silica sand blended into the water-based emulsion to give it its signature non-slip and jet black texture.
Which One Is the Right Choice for Your Property?
Ultimately, this largely depends on three factors:
- The overall condition of your pavement parking lot
- The general traffic flow in your area
- The types of vehicles that frequent your parking lot
If your parking lot is in great disrepair with a lot of giant potholes and cracks all over, then it might be a good idea to invest in a new parking lot or asphalt overlay, especially if you generally have heavy traffic flow from industrial vehicles in your area. On the other hand, if your driveway or parking lot doesn’t usually get much traffic from larger vehicles and it’s been properly maintained over the years with only a few minor repairs needed, opting for rout and seal cracksealing, combined with sand slurry sealcoating is the better choice.
Sure-Seal Pavement Maintenance Inc. Rout and Seal Cracksealing and Sand Slurry Sealcoating Services
Sure-Seal Pavement Maintenance Inc. has over 20 years of asphalt sealcoating and slurry sealing driveways and pavement parking lots throughout Toronto and the GTA. We guarantee the quality of our work and the supreme expertise of our team with an available seven-year warranty on our services. For a free consultation and to get more information about our services, please call us at 416-PAVEMENT 416-410-3705, or if you’re in Toronto, you can call 416-410-3705.