Asphalt Sealcoating Weather - Houston, TX Asphalt Sealcoating

Can Hot Weather Conditions Affect Asphalt Sealcoating?

Ask any pavement maintenance contractor, and they’ll tell you that asphalt sealcoating weather is best during the spring and summer. Skilled contractors won’t even attempt to perform this service during the winter when inclement weather threatens the curing process. All sealers have minimum curing requirements. But what happens when temperatures climb so high that they surpass what sealer manufacturers recommend?

What is Sealcoating?

Sealcoating is a maintenance service that protects your pavement from rain, shine, vehicle fluids and wear. Seasoned contractors apply specialty asphalt emulsion sealers over your entire pavement. When applied in ideal asphalt sealcoating weather conditions, that liquid sealer cures to form a tight bond on your asphalt.

Getting Houston asphalt sealcoating every three to five years is important to keep your pavement in great shape and maximize its longevity. Regular applications prevent major damage, premature deterioration and other costly issues.

Why Does Good Climate Matter?

To understand the importance of good sealcoating weather conditions, you must look at what occurs whenever you get asphalt sealcoating in Houston. Sealers start as a spreadable liquid. Once applied, the sealer needs time to cure. Depending on the formula and sealcoating weather conditions, that could take anywhere between 24 and 48 hours.

During that time, the moisture in the sealer evaporates. The weather directly impacts the evaporation and curing process. For that reason, manufacturers producing sealant for asphalt sealcoating in Houston have recommendations on ideal asphalt sealcoating weather conditions.

Typically, manufacturers recommend that air and ground temperatures be at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit and no hotter than 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The best time to perform asphalt sealcoating is when weather conditions are moderate. Most contractors prefer to perform this service when the weather is dry and warm, around 70 degrees.

Why is Excessive Heat and Humidity a Concern for Asphalt Sealcoating in Houston?

There are several reasons you must be mindful of sealcoating weather conditions. Texas gets scorching hot in the summer. While you need conditions to be warm, you don’t want temperatures to approach 90 degrees!

In excessively hot weather, asphalt sealcoating encounters a few issues. First, there’s flash curing. Flash curing occurs whenever the sealer instantly dries as it touches hot pavement. The product cannot penetrate the asphalt’s pores, resulting in delamination, peeling and substandard bonding.

High temperatures can also cause the upper layer to dry faster than it should. When that happens, the dry top layer traps moisture below. It prevents water from escaping, creating a poor bond and a messy Houston asphalt sealcoating disaster.

You must pay attention to more than ground and ambient temperatures. Asphalt sealcoating humidity issues can occur, too. When asphalt sealcoating humidity exceeds 60 percent, curing slows to a crawl. When relative humidity is as high as 90 percent, the sealer may not cure at all.

High asphalt sealcoating humidity lengthens the curing process, creating more downtime and potential disruptions to your business.

What Can I Do to Ensure Good Sealcoating Weather?

You can’t control Mother Nature. However, the best thing you can do when getting asphalt sealcoating is to turn to a reliable contractor. Seasoned contractors understand ideal asphalt sealcoating weather conditions. They’re mindful of conditions during and after the application, ensuring that sealers can cure properly.

Let Pavement Services handle all your Houston asphalt sealcoating needs. We’ve been in business since 1980 and have proudly served property owners like you. We pride ourselves on doing things the right way the first time. Our team is well-trained and uses trusted sealcoating application techniques with the highest-quality products to deliver great results.

You can trust Pavement Services to take care of your paved surfaces over the long haul. In addition to asphalt sealcoating, we do new paving, repairs, cement stabilization, parking lot reclamation and more. Let us show you why we’re Houston’s best!

Reach out to Pavement Services today to get your free, no-obligation project quote. You can use our contact form below, email us at info@pavementservice.com or call (713)661-9295.