Service 06 / Sealcoating
Sealcoating in Ottawa
A surface coat for commercial lots that are sound enough to benefit from it, applied in warm, dry weather.
Sealcoating is a maintenance treatment, not a repair. It goes on asphalt that is still doing its job, and its value depends entirely on whether the lot is in a condition to benefit from it. On a sound lot it is a reasonable part of a maintenance plan. On a failing lot it is money spent on a surface that will still fail.
What is included
The preparation is the work. The surface is cleaned of dirt, sand and any oil or fuel residue that would stop the sealer bonding. Cracks are sealed first, and failed areas are repaired before any sealer is applied. Edges along curbs and islands are cleaned out and dressed so the finished surface reads as a single lot rather than a patchwork.
The sealer is then applied in coats appropriate to the surface, with the lot sectioned off so traffic stays off it until it has cured. Painted lines are re-marked after the sealer has cured, since the coating covers the existing markings.
- Surface cleaning and oil spot treatment
- Crack sealing and localized repairs completed first
- Sealer applied in coats and edges dressed along curbs
- Lot sectioned and closed until cured
- Striping re-marked on the sealed surface
When a lot is a candidate
The test is simple. If the asphalt is grey and dry, with fine surface cracking rather than structural cracking, sealcoat has something to protect. If the surface shows alligator cracking through the wheel paths, soft spots, or areas breaking into loose pieces, the lot needs repair work or an overlay, and sealcoating that surface would only delay the decision.
We will say which of those two situations a lot is in. Selling a sealcoat to a lot that needs reconstruction is a short term answer that costs more in the end.
Timing in Ottawa
Sealer needs warm, dry conditions and enough time to cure before traffic and weather arrive. In this region that points to the warmer months, with a dry stretch either side of the application. A cold, damp week in spring is the worst possible timing, because the material sits on the surface rather than curing into it.
Working around an occupied lot
A sealed lot has to stay empty until it cures, which is the main scheduling constraint on a property that is in use. The work is normally phased by section, or scheduled over a weekend or overnight, so tenants are not cut off. Accessible stalls are kept usable in the phase that stays open wherever the layout allows it.
What sealcoating does not do
It does not add structure, correct drainage or repair a failed base. It does not stop a crack that is still moving from opening again. What it does is put a protective layer over asphalt that is intact, which is a maintenance decision worth making deliberately rather than annually by habit.
Sealcoating questions
A lot is a candidate when the asphalt is still sound: no alligator cracking, no soft spots, no areas breaking up. Sealcoat is a surface treatment, so it protects asphalt that is intact rather than repairing asphalt that is failing.
In warm, dry weather, once the surface is fully cured and the cracks and repairs are done. Spring is often too cold and too wet for the sealer to cure properly, which makes mid summer the practical window.
No. Sealcoat is applied when the surface shows it needs it, which depends on traffic, sun exposure, plow wear and how the lot drains. A lot that is worn in the drive lanes and protected in the stalls tells you where the need actually is.
Yes. Cracks are sealed and failed areas are repaired first. Sealing over a crack or a hole hides it for a month and then it reappears, usually with a patch of sealer missing around it.
Long enough for the sealer to cure, which depends on the product, the temperature and the humidity on the day. That is set on site, and it is the reason sealing is often scheduled over a weekend or after hours on an occupied lot.
Start a sealcoating project
Tell us the age of the surface and what it is doing now. If the lot is not a candidate, we will say so and suggest what it actually needs.
Or email
info@commercialpavingottawa.com