Here at Empire Parking Lot Services we are firm believers that customers should be educated about the choices they make pertaining to asphalt repair.  Two of those repairs would be parking lot sealing and crack filling.  We pair these two services together because we really believe they go hand in hand.  Below is some objective information about these services.  Feel free to post comments or questions after reading it.

The Purpose of crack sealing and filling.

First off crack sealing and crack filling really are similar services.  Over the years these services like so many in industry have started going by several names.  In fact the name crack sealing and crack filling are both a little miss leading.  You see crack are neither filled nor sealed technically speaking. To understand this better you have to rationalize what a parking lot crack is.  Cracks are formed by shifting in the earths surface.  As well as Aging and drying out of the asphalt material your parking lot is made up of.  This is constantly happening especially here in California and will always continue to happen because of constant ground movement and tons of sunshine.  So when you see cracks appears it is happening because of those two things. Make no mistake crack sealing and  crack filling are very important services to consider because they do slow the asphalt damaging process.

The Reasons for cracks appearing:

1. Asphalt has become brittle due to heat and sunlight.

2. The ground below your parking lot is shifting.

 

The purposes and functions of crack sealing

The purposes and functions of crack sealing and crack filling must be clearly understood so that the most cost effective and long-lasting treatment is applied.



Crack Sealing- The placement of specialized materials either above or into working cracks, using unique configurations to prevent the intrusion of water and debris into the crack.



Crack Filling- The placement of materials into non-working cracks to substantially reduce infiltration of water and to reinforce the adjacent pavement.



Working refers to horizontal and/or vertical crack movements greater than or equal to 0.1 in (2.5 mm); nonworking refers to movements less than 0.1 (2.5 mm). It is assumed that where cracks are exhibiting significant vertical deflections, the appropriate repair strategy will be sought.  Hence, for cracks with limited vertical movement, horizontal movement becomes the critical factor in determining the need for, and planning for, a crack treatment operation.



As the above definitions indicate, the objectives of crack sealing are significantly more difficult to accomplish than those of crack filling.  Sealing requires considerably more forethought, greater costs, and a use of specially formulated materials and more sophisticated equipment.