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 Shrewsbury, Missouri
Shrewsbury is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 6,254 at the 2010 census.
Shrewsbury was officially platted in 1889. The land which became Shrewsbury originally belonged to Gregorie Sarpy and Charles Gratiot; by 1890, it was divided into farms and sold to families. The area now known as Shrewsbury was a 278-acre (1.13 km) farm owned by General John Murdoch. The Murdoch farm was called Shrewsbury Park, named after a town in England.
In 1913, concerned resident Joseph Burge organized the Shrewsbury Improvement Association to improve Shrewsbury and develop its first sewer system. Shrewsbury was incorporated and became a village in 1913; shortly thereafter a sanitation system was established, reducing water-borne diseases prevalent at the time.
In 1938, the United States government offered financial aid to the city of Shrewsbury, and land was acquired for the construction of a new city hall replacing the 1912 original. The new City Hall building was completed in October 1938. Shrewsbury's new fire engine house and state-of-the-art equipment were dedicated in 1947; it was during this period that the Shrewsbury Garden Club was formed to maintain the beautiful trees and flowers throughout the city. The early 1950s were marked by the expansion of the public bus routes to connect Shrewsbury to St. Louis. The 1960s and '70s were times of great community growth, noted by the construction of city parks, a municipal pool, and Interstate 44.
The 1980s and '90s saw increased development of new homes, condominiums, apartments, shopping areas, and a new and improved City Center, which opened May 8, 1993, to coincide with Shrewsbury's 80th year of incorporation. With the opening of the City Center, the previous City Hall building was converted to house the police and fire departments, and is now called the Public Safety Building.
Construction finished in 2006 on the Shrewsbury–Lansdowne Interstate 44 St. Louis MetroLink station on the eastern edge of the city, at Lansdowne Avenue and River Des Peres Boulevard.
Shrewsbury is home to the seminary of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Louis, Kenrick–Glennon Seminary.
The Shrewsbury City Council in fall 2010 was expected to consider a plan to turn Kenrick Plaza, which has several open storefronts, into a Walmart store.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.43 square miles (3.70 km), all land.
The city is roughly bounded by St. Louis to the east, Webster Groves to the north, Marlborough to the west and Mackenzie and Affton to the south.
Children in Shrewsbury attend Webster Groves and Affton school districts.
As of 2020, there were 6,406 people living in the city.
As of the census of 2010, there were 6,254 people, 3,218 households, and 1,331 families living in the city. The population density was 4,373.4 inhabitants per square mile (1,688.6/km2). There were 3,487 housing units at an average density of 2,438.5 per square mile (941.5/km). The racial makeup of the city was 90.4% White, 3.6% African American, 0.2% Native American, 3.9% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.3% of the population.
There were 3,218 households, of which 16.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.3% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 58.6% were non-families. 50.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.84 and the average family size was 2.76.
The median age in the city was 42.9 years. 14.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.6% were from 25 to 44; 23.5% were from 45 to 64; and 24.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 45.3% male and 54.7% female.
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,644 people, 3,266 households, and 1,407 families living in the city. The population density was 4,655.4 inhabitants per square mile (1,797.5/km2). There were 3,390 housing units at an average density of 2,375.4 per square mile (917.1/km). The racial makeup of the city was 93.98% White, 1.48% African American, 0.18% Native American, 2.63% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.54% from other races, and 1.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.69% of the population.
There were 3,266 households, out of which 17.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.0% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 56.9% were non-families. 47.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.91 and the average family size was 2.80.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 15.6% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 17.4% from 45 to 64, and 26.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 78.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,896, and the median income for a family was $57,007. Males had a median income of $40,951 versus $35,018 for females. The per capita income for the city was $27,479. About 3.1% of families and 8.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.
Shrewsbury is served by the Blue Line of the St. Louis region's MetroLink light rail system. The city has one station, Shrewsbury–Lansdowne I-44, which is located within the city limits of St. Louis in the Lindenwood Park neighborhood despite being named for Shrewsbury. Metro Transit also operates the Shrewsbury Transit Center on Lansdowne Avenue, which connects the light rail station to several MetroBus routes and paratransit services.
Major arterial routes in Shrewsbury include Big Bend Boulevard, Laclede Station Road, Lansdowne Avenue, Murdoch Avenue and Watson Road. Interstate 44 passes through the northern part of the city near Deer Creek.