About Seal Coating
Asphalt Sealing, or seal coating, is simply laying a thin protective layer over asphalt-based pavement to give it a protective layer of protection against the elements: oil, water, and U.V. The positive effects of asphalt sealing have long been debated. Some claim that asphalt sealing increases the lifespan of the pavement, but again, there’s no evidence that backs up those claims. Asphalt sealing can damage the pavement by creating cracks. The excessive water and oil that can be soaked into the asphalt also weaken its structural integrity. And the chemical fumes emitted during asphalt sealing can also be harmful to humans.
With all of that in mind, it’s not surprising that many business owners, when they set out to perform asphalt sealing, opt to go the non-per square foot route. The costs are much lower, often no more than a few cents per square foot. And the benefits of lower cost and improved performance are well-known. After all, if you want to save money, you want to reduce your operation costs.
But that brings us to our next question: Are asphalt sealing pads a good solution for parking lots, blacktop driveways, or other paved surfaces? As with any typical maintenance procedure, regular maintenance is the best way to reduce the cost of asphalt sealing. Sealing at least annually will help keep dust, pollen, and other pollutants from making their way onto your paved surfaces. It will also help protect your driveway from water damage, as well as mold and algae growth, both of which cause a lot of problems to homeowners.
Now let’s look at how often you should reseal your asphalt surfaces, especially if you’re going to go the non-per square foot route. The key, again, is regular maintenance. And as it turns out, the best time to perform asphalt sealing and resealing are during the cold winter months. There’s even been some recent evidence suggesting that the best time for asphalt sealing and resealing is during the fall when temperatures are quite low.
Why is that? Fall is when most asphalt-based park finishes and protective coatings need to be applied. Asphalt-based park finishes are very weather-resistant, but that doesn’t mean that they’re impervious to the elements. The rainy spring weather can still cause problems, as can heavy snow, ice, and even dew. So, by applying the protective coatings only during the wet winter months, you’ll be doing your park and business no favors, and in the end, your asphalt sealing and resealing efforts will be wasted.
Here’s why: Asphalt seal coats are extremely dense. Think about asphalt sealing and resealing – it’s the same product, just in a different form. And that means that you have to apply a lot less of it to achieve the same degree of protection. That’s why a lot of asphalt maintenance and repair companies (which specialize in asphalt sealing and resealing) will advise you to apply a minimum of three or four gallons of asphalt-based protectant per square foot of paved area. In other words, if you have a parking lot of ten thousand square feet, you’d want to apply three gallons per every twenty-five feet of the paved area.
If you were to apply that kind of service to your asphalt driveway, you could expect to pay anywhere from three to five dollars per square foot. Now consider that the average cost of asphalt sealing and resealing is only about two or three dollars per square foot. Multiply those two by the number of feet of asphalt you’re going to need to cover (per your parking lot, for example), and you quickly come to understand how much asphalt sealing and resealing would cost you. Applying the service yourself would cost you at least a thousand dollars or more. Not very appealing, I’d say.
But, don’t give up just yet – there are other ways to protect your asphalt driveway seal coating and resealing investment, and they won’t cost you nearly as much, so don’t rule them out just yet. One of those ways is called flashings, which are like raised bumps along the edge of your driveway that will serve as an additional traction aid when you drive over it. The average cost of installing these would be about two hundred dollars, with the total installed cost running into the thousands. Another less expensive alternative is a thin film of asphalt seal coating that has a plastic protective layer between it and the ground, as opposed to flashing. It’s about as thick as standard asphalt, which would then have to be applied to your asphalt driveway seal coating and resurfacing project in much the same way.
About Hazelwood, Missouri
Hazelwood is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, within Greater St. Louis. It is a second-ring northern suburb of St. Louis. Based on the 2020 United States census, the city had a total population of 25,485. It is located north of St. Louis-Lambert International Airport and is situated on Interstates 270 and 170, as well as the much-traveled Lindbergh Boulevard and Highway 370.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.76 square miles (43.41 km), of which 16.02 square miles (41.49 km2) is land and 0.74 square miles (1.92 km) is water.
As of the census of 2010, there were 25,703 people, 10,933 households, and 6,608 families living in the city. The population density was 1,604.4 inhabitants per square mile (619.5/km2). There were 11,730 housing units at an average density of 732.2 per square mile (282.7/km). The racial makeup of the city was 64.1% White, 30.5% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 1.2% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.0% of the population.
There were 10,933 households, of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.3% were married couples living together, 17.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.6% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 3.01.
The median age in the city was 36.8 years. 23.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27% were from 25 to 44; 27.2% were from 45 to 64; and 12.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.0% male and 53.0% female.
The median household income was $47,838, and the median family income was $57,293. Males had a median income of $42,399 compared with $35,800 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,651. About 8.3% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.2% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.
As of the census of 2000, there were 26,206 people, 10,954 households, and 6,714 families living in the city. The population density was 1,649.9 inhabitants per square mile (637.0/km2). There were 11,433 housing units at an average density of 719.8 per square mile (277.9/km). The racial makeup of the city was 80.24% White, 16.04% African American, 1.19% Asian, 0.18% Native American, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.52% from other races, and 1.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.60% of the population.
There were 10,954 households, out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.7% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.6% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.3 males. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there were 89.0 men.
The median income for a household in the city was $45,110, and the median income for a family was $52,656. Males had a median income of $40,031 versus $27,871 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,311. About 4.3% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.1% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.
Hazelwood is covered by the Hazelwood public school district. The city has one high school, Hazelwood West. The city also has one middle school, Hazelwood West Middle School, and several elementary schools (McNair, Russell and Garrett). There is also one Early Childhood Education Center in Hazelwood.
There are also several private schools in Hazelwood; Alphabet Soup Academy, Asa Christian Academy, Blossom Wood Day School, and Oak Bridge.
Gateway Legacy Christian Academy, an international boarding school with students from over 30 countries, is presently located at the historic former St. Stanislaus Seminary.
St. Louis County Library operates the Prairie Commons Branch in Hazelwood.
Due to its location along Interstate 270 between Interstate 170 and Missouri 370, as well as adjacency to St. Louis-Lambert International Airport, Hazelwood is a major regional hub for manufacturing, distribution, and office facilities. The city is home to a substantial workforce with 17,063 jobs as of 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The city was home to a Ford plant from 1948 to 2006 and employed 1,400 at the time of closure. The site of the former plant is in the process of being redeveloped into Aviator Business Park. On the opposite side of Lindbergh Blvd., after the completion of one building in 2007, the Great Recession and ownership troubles stalled the now-named Hazelwood Logistics Center until the land was sold in 2015. The new owners finishing building out the park with a total of 1.8 million square feet of industrial space completed and leased between 2015 and mid-2018. The industrial park is expected to generate 1,800 jobs. TradePort is a 325-acre industrial park under construction north of the St. Louis Outlet Mall (formerly St. Louis Mills) that upon completion in the mid-2020s will feature up to 4 million square feet of new industrial development.
Hazelwood is home to the headquarters of Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals and several facilities for Boeing.