FEATURE
wear and poor color . Recently , manufacturers have started developing additives specifically designed for sealcoatings to optimally cure under cooler ambient and surface temperatures . These new additives may actually slow down the drying process to allow the sealer film to cure sufficiently .”
Adams added , “ Most weather limitations listed on asphalt sealer data sheets state that you should not apply sealer below 50 ° F , but this new additive technology has pushed the envelope . When utilizing cold weather additives , you ’ re now able to apply sealer at 40 ° F or colder . Depending on your geographical location , you stand to gain an additional 2-3 weeks of sealcoating in both the spring and fall .”
For now , specialty low temperature additives designed for sealcoating cure at low temperatures still have limits .
“ At no point during application , drying and final cure , should the temperature drop near or below freezing .
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“ Temperature is the major limitation ,” Pandrapragada said . “ At no point during application , drying and final cure , should the temperature drop near or below freezing . And , as always , one must make sure that there is no rain in the forecast for at least 24 hours from the application time . Also , be careful of the mix design . Follow the manufacturer ’ s recommendations regarding dosage amounts . Too low amount of the additive would result in uncured sealcoating and too high amount would be a waste of money without adding any benefit .” The three-ton hippo in the room question becomes How far away are we from seeing sealcoat additives that will enable sealcoating all year long ?
“ Right now , it is far-fetched to imagine an additive to enable water based sealcoatings to be applied year around ,” Pandrapragada said . “ All the bets are off when the coating is exposed to freezing conditions . The solution lies in finding a way to prevent the coating from freezing ( to ensure film formation ) and to heat up the pavement to remove excess moisture ( to ensure adhesion of coating to the pavement ). It may be doable with other types of sealcoatings , e . g . chemically cured systems , which may be sufficient to heat up the pavement to drive off the moisture .” Yet , one can hope that innovation will come along .
Poole concluded with a positive spin : “ One day , we hope to see additives that can make year-round sealcoating possible , but for now , we need to be content realizing that additives are able to give some pretty decent , reasonable stretch to both ends of the work season that would not be possible or advisable without them .” www . callape . com [ 28 ] 1.800.210.5923