Preventive road maintenance focuses on managing the damage anticipated from the regular use of roads, driveways, and paved surfaces. The constant friction and prolonged exposure to weather elements put road surfaces at risk of wearing down before their useful life expires. On the brighter side of things, preventive maintenance helps you protect the materials used to make your road, guaranteeing a long life. The best way to go about this is by applying surface treatments to the road. Here are the options at your disposal.

Fog Seal

Fog seals are a great consideration for those who want to look after their asphalt roads. The fog seal comes as an emulsion of dilute asphalt applied to the surface without the covering aggregate. Usually, fog seal is an addition to the primary road surface, and it enriches the pavement surface of the asphalt. It also comes in handy for those who want to prevent ravelling, seal small cracks, and delineate the shoulders of the road surface. During application, you will use a regular asphalt distributor.

Fog seals are ideal for roads with high and low volumes of traffic. They are a good option for minimising ravelling on high-traffic roads. Keep an eye on your road surface and apply this seal when you notice moderate ravelling, oxidation, and weathering.

Seal Coat

A seal coat is the next place you should look when you want to maintain your road. Essentially, seal coats start with applying the asphalt materials then following up immediately with a suitable aggregate cover. A double chip refers to a seal coat with two protective layers. The contractors use fast-setting asphalt emulsions to place the seal coat. The result is a low-severity crack coating that restores proper friction for road users and keeps the surface waterproof. Ideally, you can use a seal coat at any time in the life of the road. Ravelled and dry roads make the best candidates for the application of seal coating.

Slurry Seals

You can also maintain your road surfaces using slurry seals. Slurry seals come as mixtures of asphalt emulsions, fine aggregate, mineral filers, and water. Usually, contractors use Portland cement as mineral fillers. Generally, slurry seals are efficient at sealing small cracks and improving the friction feedback of the surface. They are also an excellent option for roads experiencing excessive oxidation and hardening of the road surface. However, note that the seal will not be effective if the road has large cracks. It would help if you fixed them first before sealing.