Asphalt Sealcoating Products | Blacktop Sealer

There are a variety of asphalt sealcoating products on the market. We will help you learn the pros & cons of each type of sealant, so that you can decide what is best for your asphalt or blacktop pavement.

First of all, here is a short description of asphalt to give you a basic idea of what you are trying to achieve from sealcoating.  Asphalt is basically specifically graded rock bound together with an asphalt “glue”.  Liquid asphalt is a result of the oil refining process.  During the refining process of crude oil, a variety of petroleum fuels and oils are obtained.  Toward the end of the process, liquid asphalt is born.

When asphalt plants produce hot mix asphalt, an average of 6% liquid asphalt is used to hold all of the rock together that creates your driveway, parking lot, or other asphalt area.  Think about that for a moment, only 6% of asphalt “glue” is holding all of that rock together!

Sealcoating products are used as a topical sealant and wearing layer to prevent and slow down the escape of asphalt binder.  Without sealcoating, the asphalt binder can be quickly depleted and rinsed away by moisture, chemicals, and the ultra violet rays from the sun.  This results in cracks, alligatored areas, potholes, and disintegration of your asphalt pavement. Sealcoating and a steady pavement maintenance program can greatly extend and more than double the life of pavement.  So don’t wait until your asphalt starts to turn gray before sealcoating.  The gray color means that some of the asphalt binders have already been lost.

Asphalt Sealer | Asphalt-based Seal Coat

One of the most popular and commonly used types of asphalt sealer is asphalt-based seal coat.  This is a coating or emulsion of specific fillers and silica sand, produced with asphalt as the binder of the coating.  This is very compatible with asphalt pavement since it is made with the same oil-derived binder as the hot mix asphalt.  Here are some general benefits of asphalt based sealers:

  • Very black and aesthetically pleasing
  • More flexible, like asphalt pavement
  • Mild smell vs. Coal Tar-based seal coat
  • Environmentally friendly low VOC’s
  • Easier to remove if needed (non-yellowing oils if tracked on floors)
  • Doesn’t burn the skid when applying

Asphalt-based sealers have been dominantly used in the western United States for many years, and are becoming the number one choice from the standpoint of overall benefits and environmentally-friendly aspects.  Since asphalt sealers are derived from oil, they are more susceptible to penetration by oil and fuel.  However, the advancement of polymer additives that are mixed into the sealers has greatly helped to add film strength and protection from chemicals in these asphalt-based sealcoat products.

Coal Tar Sealer | Coal Tar-Based Seal Coat

The next type of asphalt sealcoating products that are still used primarily in the central to eastern United States is known as Coal Tar Sealer.  Coal tar pitch is a by-product of the coal distillation process and coke ovens.  One of the main reasons that coal tar sealers have been so popular in the east for many years is, the production of coal tar pitch from the steel mills of the northeast.  So much coal tar pitch was created in the 1970’s, and it was very inexpensive for sealcoating manufacturers to buy and use as a raw material binder.

Coal tar sealers produce a hard film for good wear properties. However, they can become slightly brittle with age and excessive coats.  On flexible asphalt pavement, this can create microcracks in the coal tar film.  Coal tar sealers have come under some scrutiny in the last decade and mostly removed from retail store offerings.  In comparison to asphalt-based sealers, Coal Tar contains a higher level of PAH’s (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons) which has created some environmental runoff concerns.  Here are the top benefits of Coal Tar Sealers:

  • Good resistance to oil and fuel
  • Hard film for wear
  • Black color for aesthetic value

For a contrast, here are some negatives of coal tar seal coat:

  • Strong smell during and after application
  • Can leach yellow oils that can stain floors (common in retail store parking lots from cart wheels)
  • Hard film, spider cracking
  • Environmental concerns
  • Can burn skid during application, like a sunburn.

Asphalt Sealcoating Products | Other Options

Asphalt and concrete-based coatings are dominant, but there are also other options.  Acrylic-based sealers are growing in popularity for many reasons.  Just a few of top benefits include:

  • No leaching of oils during curing
  • Hard wearing, yet flexible film
  • Very resistant to oils, fuels, and chemicals
  • Available in black and many other colors
  • Environmentally-friendly with low VOC’s
  • Very little odor, similar to paints.

Local Sealcoating Companies

Visit our local sealcoating company directory pages to locate some sealcoating companies near you.  Now that you know a bit more about asphalt sealcoating products, you can talk to some local seal coat professionals and get pricing on the pavement sealer that best meets your needs.