Parking lot seal plays in an important role in the lifespan of your asphalt surface. The seal helps fill in the holes, or pores, on the surface, preventing water from seeping into the asphalt. This can help to prevent cracks that are caused by water and ice. In turn, this helps to extend the life of your asphalt parking lot.
If your parking lot has been newly resurfaced, or you notice water is no longer puddling on the surface of the parking lot, parking lot seal should be applied. However, many owners have questions about the parking lot seal and how it may affect customer safety. Here are a few of the questions you may have and the answers.
Will Parking Lot Seal Make the Parking Lot Slippery?
No. Parking lot seal will not make the parking lot slippery. This is a common concern, as you want to ensure your customers do not slip and fall when they are in your parking lot. While sealing products that are used on natural stone in homes, such as granite and marble sealers, can make the surface slippery, asphalt sealing products do not. Most of the sealer is absorbed into the pores of the asphalt rather than simply sitting on the surface.
Will the Fumes of Parking Lot Seal Be Harmful to the Customers?
When your parking lot is being sealed, it may not smell pleasant. Some types do contain tar, which has a bad smell when it is heated. However, as long as your customers are simply walking to and from their cars, the effects will not be harmful. It is not advised that any customers hang around the parking lot all day while the sealer is being applied though, as the fumes can make a person feel light-headed.
Is It Safe for Customer's Cars to Be in the Lot When It Is Being Sealed?
If you have a large parking lot, you may have half of the parking lot sealed one day and the other half sealed the next day. Asphalt sealer is a product that is sprayed on the surface of the asphalt. Paving contractors use a plastic backpack-like jug on their back and have a wand in their hand. They then walk around spraying the surface of the asphalt.
It is safe for vehicles to be parked near the area that is being sealed. But vehicles should not park in a lot that is being sealed. You will need to post no-parking signs before the parking lot is sealed to ensure everyone moves. Cars should not be allowed back on the surface until the seal is dry, which may take a few hours, depending on the temperatures and weather conditions.
Sealing a parking lot can help to extend the life of your asphalt surface. And fortunately, it is safe to be done around your customers, so businesses in the area do not have to shut down or close their doors simply because you are having parking lot repairs made.
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