How Often Should You Sealcoat Your Parking Lot?

Sealcoating a parking lot is one of the most effective ways to protect asphalt from daily traffic, weather exposure, and long-term deterioration. A properly applied sealcoat creates a protective surface layer that shields the pavement from UV rays, moisture, oil, and chemicals, but this protection doesn’t last forever. Over time, wear and environmental conditions break it down, which raises an important question for property owners: how often should you sealcoat your parking lot?

When to Sealcoat a Parking Lot: 4 Considerations

Here are some considerations that affect how often your asphalt surfaces should be resealed.

1. Baseline Sealcoat Standards

Generally speaking, the professionals at G-FORCE® recommend sealcoating approximately every two to three years on average. Doing so maintains asphalt surfaces and keeps them looking and performing at their best, protecting your paving investments. Notably, it’s best to wait on a first sealcoat for new paving for six months to a year to allow the asphalt to cure properly before being sealed.

2. Sealcoat Quality and Application

Not all sealcoating is created equal. Professionally applied high-quality asphalt sealcoating from G-FORCE® performs at a higher level and for far longer than any DIY solution or cheap alternative. G-FORCE® sealcoating earns its keep by extending the life of your asphalt and reducing the expense of ongoing patching and crack filling repairs.

3. Your Unique Lot Conditions

How frequently to sealcoat your specific paved areas depends on several factors.

Exposure to Weather

Every climate has a unique impact on sealcoating. Prolonged and intense UV exposure can break down the chemical components of sealcoat. Similarly, frequent freeze-thaw cycles and prolonged extreme cold can have a greater impact on sealcoating than mild climates. Volume and types of precipitation, storm cycles, and other conditions also factor into the lifespan of even the best asphalt sealcoating.

Wear and Tear

The amount and type of vehicular traffic have a significant impact on the frequency with which sealcoating should be refreshed. Asphalt areas with high volumes of traffic from heavy equipment or with traffic that includes extensive turning movements of vehicles at slow speeds (such as in parking lots and loading bays) typically require a bit more frequent attention. On the other hand, residential driveways with simple, repetitive light passenger vehicle traffic generally can go longer periods between sealcoating applications.

Age and Condition of Underlying Pavement

Newer asphalt with more consistently even surfaces tends to hold sealcoating far longer than older, more worn ones. Older paved areas tend to be more porous and develop cracks, settling, and other irregularities that can cause sealcoating to wear more quickly.

4. Signs That It’s Time to Seal Your Asphalt

Freshly applied sealcoating creates a deep black, slightly shiny appearance for your asphalt with a smooth, uniform, hydrophobic surface. Some signs that it’s time for a new application of sealcoating are as follows:

• The surface color fades to gray from black;
• The surface becomes rougher, and the uneven texture of the aggregate in the underlying pavement becomes more pronounced;
• Water and chemicals stop beading up consistently on the sealcoated surface and begin absorbing into the asphalt below;
• Small hairline cracks begin to develop, or the asphalt becomes less level, rising or falling in places

The professionals at G-FORCE® are experts at assessing sealcoating needs and maintenance issues for your asphalt surfaces, and we are happy to work with you to make sure the paved areas that are so important to your business remain in exceptional working order. Simply use our location finder to connect with your nearest Veteran-owned G-FORCE® operator to help protect and maintain your asphalt investment.