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Hosting for the Holidays? Make Sure Your HVAC Is Ready

HVAC technician changing an air filter before a holiday gathering

The holidays bring more people into your home than almost any other time of year — and more people means more heat, more cooking, and more demands on your HVAC system. A little preparation can make sure your home stays comfortable without your system struggling to keep up.

Start by replacing your air filter if you haven’t done so recently. More people in the home means more dust, more cooking smells, and more strain on the system’s airflow. A clean filter is essential for maintaining good air quality and system efficiency when the house is full.

Check your thermostat settings before guests arrive. When your home is packed with people and the kitchen has been running for hours, the ambient temperature rises quickly. You may want to set the thermostat a couple of degrees lower than usual before the party starts, then let the body heat of your guests do the rest.

Make sure all your vents are clear and unobstructed. Holiday decorations, furniture rearranged to accommodate guests, and boxes pulled out of storage can all end up blocking registers. Blocked vents create hot and cold spots throughout the home and cause the system to run longer cycles.

If you’re hosting overnight guests, check that the bedrooms are reaching a comfortable temperature independently. If certain rooms are always colder, it might be a zone or register issue worth addressing before your guests arrive.

For a complete checklist of what to verify before the holiday season, visit this page from a local HVAC provider covering every step New Jersey homeowners should take before their home fills up with family and friends.

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How to Decide If a Big Beauty Investment Is Actually Worth It

There’s a moment in every big-purchase decision where the math kind of stops mattering. You’ve researched. You’ve compared. You’ve watched too many YouTube reviews. And now you’re sitting on the edge of a yes, but something’s holding you back. That something? It’s usually a fair question. “Will I actually be happier with this, or am I just talking myself into it?”

Big beauty investments, like laser treatments, fancy skincare regimens, cosmetic dentistry, even a great cut at a great salon, sit in this exact territory. Not necessities. Not frivolous either. Here’s how to think about whether the cost makes sense for you.

Start by Naming the Real Problem

Most beauty purchases fail because they’re not solving the actual issue. Buying a $300 serum when your real problem is sleep deprivation isn’t a beauty investment. It’s a workaround. A shiny one. Get honest with yourself first. What is it you actually want to change, and is the thing you’re considering even the right tool for the job?

The team at Consumer Reports has a smart guide to shopping smarter that’s worth reading before you swipe the card on anything significant. They cover comparing across retailers, when to negotiate, and how to dodge the marketing tricks that pull you toward purchases you didn’t really want in the first place.

Calculate Cost-Per-Use, Not Sticker Price

A $400 haircut sounds nuts. Until you realize you wear that haircut every single day for three months. That’s roughly $4 a day. For something the world sees constantly. Compare it to a $200 dinner you forgot about by Tuesday, and the math suddenly looks pretty different.

This is especially true for stuff that lasts. Dental work that holds up for ten years. Skincare with real research behind it. A wardrobe piece you’ll actually wear for years. Those aren’t expenses. They’re investments spread out over time. The trick is being honest with yourself about how long it’ll really last.

Be Skeptical of Anything That Promises Everything

Marketing for beauty stuff tends to oversell. A 30-second ad implies a 30-minute appointment will basically change your life. Reality is messier. There are tradeoffs. Recovery times. Maintenance. Sometimes results that look amazing in good lighting but pretty ordinary at home in your bathroom mirror.

Veneers are a perfect example. They can absolutely transform a smile. But they’re a permanent thing, with real care needs and a real price tag. If you’re weighing them, this Rexburg dental office breaks it down honestly. What veneers fix. What they don’t. Who’s actually a good candidate. That kind of straight-talk is way more useful than any glossy brochure.

Sleep on It, Literally

The 24-hour rule has saved a lot of people from a lot of regret. If something is genuinely a great decision today, it’ll still be a great decision tomorrow. If you can’t stop thinking about it after a week of sitting with it, that’s usually a real signal. Not just a reaction to a clever ad.

And if a provider pressures you to decide right now? Almost always a bad sign. Good practitioners, in any industry, are happy to wait while you think.

Ask Around. For Real, Not Just Online

Online reviews are useful but easy to game. Better data points come from people you actually know. Friends. Family. Coworkers. Anyone who’s done the thing you’re considering. Ask them what they wish they’d known beforehand. Their answer is rarely what’s in the marketing.

The Test Question

Here’s a useful gut-check. If literally nobody but you would ever notice the result, would you still do it? If yes, you’re probably investing for a real reason. If no, the purchase might be more about external validation than personal value. Worth sitting with that for a minute before you commit.

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Spring Pest Problems in New Jersey: What to Expect and How to Prepare

Spring hits differently in New Jersey. The cold breaks fast, people open their windows again, and everything feels a little more alive. That’s the good part.

The not-so-good part is that pests come back with it. If you’ve owned a home here for a few years, you know what I mean. This is worth getting ahead of rather than reacting to, so here’s a quick breakdown of what tends to show up and what to do about it.

Ants

Every spring, ant complaints go through the roof across New Jersey. Colonies that spent the winter dormant in soil or inside walls wake up the moment temperatures rise, and they start sending foragers out right away. One scout finds food or water in your home, leaves a trail, and then it’s not just one ant anymore.

Pavement ants, carpenter ants, and odorous house ants are all common in this region, and they’re not the same problem. Carpenter ants will damage wood over time if they’re nesting in it. Odorous house ants are hard to get rid of because of how their colonies are set up. Pavement ants just come in big numbers, fast.

Sealing food, fixing leaks, and closing up entry points all help. But if a colony is already inside a wall or crawl space, surface-level work won’t reach it.

For detail on what prevention and professional treatment actually look like in this area, this resource on preventing ant infestations in Jersey City this spring covers the local species, what warning signs to look for, and what a technician actually checks during an inspection.

Termites

March through May is prime swarmer season here. Subterranean termites become active as the ground warms, and mature colonies release winged termites to start new ones. Small winged insects clustering near your windows in early spring are not random. That’s worth paying attention to.

Signs tend to be subtle at first: mud tubes on the foundation wall, hollow-sounding wood when tapped, discarded wings left near a window. By the time floors feel soft or walls look wrong, the colony has usually been there for a while. Annual spring inspections are worth scheduling, especially if you’re in an older building or your neighbors have had activity.

Stinging Insects

Wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets start building in spring. A queen that survived winter begins a new nest in March or April, and the colony grows steadily from there. A nest that’s barely visible in April can be a real problem by June.

Common nesting spots include eaves, porch ceilings, deck railings, wall voids, and underground in old rodent burrows. That last one catches people off guard because there’s nothing visible until someone steps too close to the entrance. Small nests in early spring are much easier to handle than a full summer colony. Keep that in mind when you’re doing yard work in April.

Rodents

Rats and mice don’t leave in the winter. They get settled inside walls and foundations, and they stay. Spring shifts things a little since outdoor food comes back, but any established colony inside your home isn’t going anywhere on its own.

Signs are usually sounds first. Scratching or movement in the walls, usually at night. Then you start finding droppings or gnaw marks. The fix that actually holds is exclusion: physically sealing entry points at the foundation, vents, and around plumbing. Traps handle what’s already inside, but sealing keeps new ones from following.

The EPA’s approach to controlling pests safely at home puts non-chemical prevention first. Cut off access, remove food and water sources, then treat whatever’s left inside. It works better than most homeowners expect when they actually follow through on all of it, not just the easy parts.

When to Call Someone

Not every pest situation needs a professional. But spring is a smart time to schedule a home inspection if you’ve had problems before, if your building is older, or if you’re seeing activity you can’t identify. A trained technician can tell you what’s going on and where it’s coming from, which makes every step after that easier.

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Why Older North Shore Homes Need a Different Kind of Carpet Care

We bought a place on the North Shore about six years ago, and I’ll tell you what, nobody warns you about the dust. You vacuum on a Saturday morning, feel good about yourself, and by Monday afternoon the rug in the den already looks tired again. For the longest time I thought my vacuum was junk. Turns out it wasn’t the vacuum.

Houses up here, especially anything built before the 70s, just move air differently than newer builds. The HVAC is different. The insulation is different. Even the windows behave differently. Dust gets into everything, basements pull in moisture all summer, and then the radiators roast the air dry the second the weather turns. It’s a whole ecosystem, and your carpets are basically at the bottom of it catching whatever falls.

What’s actually happening down there

Most people react to what they can see. A wine spill, a muddy paw print, whatever. Fair enough. But the real problem is what’s settling at the base of the fibers, and you don’t really see that until the carpet starts feeling kind of flat and dense and you can’t figure out why.

Years of dust, bits of grit off the driveway, pollen from all those old trees we love so much, a little basement humidity when the weather’s bad. It builds up. Your vacuum pulls out maybe a quarter of it on a good day. Once it gets past a certain point, no amount of vacuuming brings it back, and the room just always smells a little stale no matter how many windows you open.

This is where a real deep cleaning matters. Hot water extraction actually rinses the fibers and pulls that stuff out. Skip it for too long and the carpet basically wears from the inside before you ever notice anything on the surface.

If you’re anywhere on the North Shore and you want a crew that’s actually worked in these older houses before, carpet cleaning in Highland Park is the kind of thing worth booking before the carpet gets too far gone. A team that does these homes regularly knows how to handle wool blends, older runners, and the low-pile stuff that was common in mid-century additions. Big difference from a general crew.

The allergy thing nobody talks about

Ever notice your allergies feel worse inside some older homes than they do outside? There’s a reason. Carpet works like a filter, and when a filter is full, it stops helping and starts making things worse. Dust mites, dander, pollen. All of it sits in the pile and gets kicked back up every time somebody walks through.

The EPA’s guide to improving indoor air quality puts it pretty plainly. Cleaning your soft surfaces regularly is one of the more effective things a homeowner can actually do. Air purifiers help, HVAC filters help, but if the carpet itself is loaded up with junk, those other things are kind of fighting uphill.

What a realistic schedule looks like

Okay, practical advice. For most older homes around here with normal traffic, a professional deep clean every nine to twelve months keeps things fine. If you’ve got pets, or kids, or you host a lot, you’re probably looking at every six to eight months. Area rugs, especially anything wool, do better off-site where they can get rinsed properly and dry flat.

Between visits, a decent vacuum with a HEPA filter and jumping on spills right away does most of the work. The professional cleanings are what keep you from slowly losing ground year after year.

Older homes are worth the effort. There’s something about walking in and having the place just feel light and clean that nobody quite appreciates until they notice it’s missing.

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Batt Insulation in Virginia Beach: What’s Actually in Your Walls?

Most homes in Virginia Beach have batt insulation. The pink or yellow stuff crammed between the studs. Built in the 70s, 80s, 90s, doesn’t matter, it’s probably in there. Problem is, a lot of it has been sitting there for decades doing less and less. Before you assume yours is fine, take a look at this: Batt Insulation Virginia Beach.

Quick rundown on what batts are

Pre-cut panels. Mostly fiberglass, sometimes mineral wool. You fit them between wall studs or floor joists and that’s basically it.

Fiberglass batts come faced or unfaced. Faced means there’s kraft paper on one side that acts as a vapor retarder. Goes against the interior wall to slow moisture moving through. Unfaced is just the insulation itself.

Mineral wool is the denser option. Handles fire better. Doesn’t absorb water, which matters out here near the water.

The R-value piece

Virginia attics should be hitting R-49 to R-60 per DOE recommendations. Fiberglass batts run R-3.1 to R-4.3 per inch. Mineral wool is close to that.

A 2×6 wall cavity gets you to about R-21 with batts. That’s acceptable for walls. Attics need a lot more, so you’re either stacking layers or mixing with blown-in to reach the target.

Where batts work and where they don’t

Open cavities during construction or a gut renovation. That’s their sweet spot. You can see exactly what you’re doing, fit them properly, get the performance the label promises.

Closed walls are a different story. Can’t really retrofit batts once drywall is up. That’s when you switch to blown-in. And even in open cavities, a sloppy install wrecks the R-value. Gaps, compression, wrong size for the cavity. Any of those and you’re not getting what you paid for.

Humidity and what it does to fiberglass

Fiberglass doesn’t soak up moisture itself. But moisture moves through it. In a humid climate like coastal Virginia, that can create conditions for mold inside the wall cavity if the vapor barrier isn’t set up right.

Mineral wool is more forgiving. Water-repellent by nature. Gets damp, dries out, keeps its R-value. For homes close to the water around 23451 or Chic’s Beach, that difference is worth paying attention to.

Bottom line

New build or big renovation with open walls? Batts make sense. Older closed-wall home trying to improve performance? Probably looking at blown-in for most of it. Either way, knowing what’s already in there before you spend money is the right first step.

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When the Tree Crew Shows Up with a Crane

Crane-assisted tree removal lifting a storm-damaged tree off a garage

If a tree company tells you your job needs a crane, your first reaction is probably sticker shock. Maybe a little skepticism too. Is that actually necessary, or are they just padding the ticket?

The honest answer: sometimes it’s genuinely the only safe way to do the job. Sometimes it isn’t. Knowing the difference is worth a few minutes of your time.

Why a Crane Enters the Picture at All

Standard tree removal works on the assumption that sections can be dropped or lowered into open space nearby. A climber goes up, cuts in sections from the top down, pieces land in the yard, chipper eats the brush. Clean and predictable.

That method breaks down when there’s nowhere for the pieces to go. A big tree jammed between a house and a fence with utility lines on the other side has zero good drop zones. A crane solves that by lifting sections straight up and swinging them to wherever there’s clear ground.

The other situation where cranes show up: when the tree is in bad enough shape that sending a climber up isn’t safe. Internal decay isn’t always visible. A tree that looks solid can have compromised wood at its core, and a climber putting weight on a branch that fails without warning is a serious problem. From the ground with a crane, nobody’s in the tree when it’s cut.

Storm Damage and Trees on Structures

This is the scenario most homeowners actually run into. A tree comes down in a storm and it’s not sitting in the open yard. It’s on the house, the garage, a parked car. Now what?

Here’s the problem with just cutting it from the bottom up: everything above the cut still has to go somewhere. If there’s a roof under the tree, the pieces don’t have a good place to land. You end up making the structural damage worse than the original impact. A crane holds each section before the cut happens. When the saw goes through, the crane’s already got it. That section gets lowered to clear ground instead of dropped onto whatever’s below.

It’s slower and it takes more coordination, but on a job like that, the control is the whole point. You can find more on crane-assisted tree removal through Tree On Me’s site. For a broader look at what they handle in the area, tree removal services in Montgomery County covers the full picture.

It Takes More Space and More Lead Time

A crane is a big piece of equipment and it needs somewhere to stand. Usually that means a driveway or a section of open yard wide enough to position and stabilize the rig. If the access is limited, that complicates things. The crew may need to clear the area first before the crane can even get set up.

Budget more time for these jobs overall. The planning involved is different from a standard removal, and if the company is coordinating with a crane operator they don’t have on staff, scheduling can take a few extra days.

What to Ask When a Contractor Recommends It

Don’t just take the recommendation at face value. Ask them to walk you through why your specific tree, in your specific yard, can’t come down the standard way. What’s the drop zone problem? Is the canopy compromised? Is it the structure underneath?

A contractor who knows what they’re doing will have a clear answer. If the explanation is vague or they pivot quickly to talking about price, that’s your cue to get a second opinion before committing.

Also find out whether they own the crane or whether they’re subbing it out. Both are workable. You just want to know who’s actually operating the equipment and whether that person does this regularly.

Crane Jobs Cost More. Get the Site Seen First.

There’s no way around the cost question, so let’s be direct: crane removal runs more than standard removal. More equipment, more labor, more coordination. The range is wide because it depends on the tree, the site, and the complexity of the lift.

Anyone who gives you a confident number over the phone without visiting the property is just guessing. Get someone out to look at the actual job before you agree to anything. And if something about the recommendation doesn’t sit right with you, a second opinion is always a reasonable thing to ask for.

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Your Energy Bills Are High. Could Leaky Ducts Be the Reason?

duct repair in Glenview for leaky attic ductwork

If your energy bills seem higher than they should be, there’s a common culprit that doesn’t get enough attention: leaky ductwork.

Most homeowners never think about their ducts. They’re hidden in walls and ceilings, out of sight and out of mind. But when ducts develop leaks, gaps, or disconnected sections, a significant portion of your conditioned air — air your system worked to heat or cool — escapes before it ever reaches the rooms in your home.

How Big Is the Problem?

The U.S. Department of Energy has studied this extensively. In many homes, leaky ducts are responsible for 20 to 30 percent of heating and cooling energy loss. That means for every dollar you spend on energy, up to 30 cents is paying to heat or cool your attic, crawl space, or the inside of your walls.

Signs Your Ducts Might Be Leaking

You don’t need special equipment to notice the symptoms:

  • Some rooms never seem to reach the temperature on the thermostat
  • Energy bills have crept up without an obvious explanation
  • There’s more dust than usual on surfaces throughout the home
  • You can hear whistling or unusual sounds from the vents
  • Airflow from some registers feels weak or inconsistent

Any of these on their own could have another cause. Multiple symptoms together often point to the duct system.

What Repair Involves

Duct repair starts with a diagnostic — often a pressure test — to measure how much air is escaping and locate where the losses are happening. From there, technicians seal gaps and leaks, repair or replace damaged sections, and test airflow to confirm the work improved performance.

If you’re in the Chicago suburbs and want to find out whether your ducts are costing you money, click here to learn about professional duct and vent repair services in Glenview.

The Payoff

Sealed ducts mean lower energy bills, better comfort in every room, and less strain on your HVAC equipment. For many homeowners, duct repair pays for itself within a few years — sometimes faster.

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Solar Panels and Your Roof: What Nobody Tells You

Solar panels on a shingle roof with vent flashing stains and attic water damage.

The first clue something’s wrong usually isn’t a panel issue—it’s that damp “wet drywall” smell in a closet a day or two after a hard rain. Solar can be installed perfectly and still expose a roof detail that was already on the edge, and the water won’t always show up anywhere near the panels.

The roof doesn’t just “hold panels” — it becomes part of the system

Once solar goes on, your roof becomes a platform with penetrations, metal hardware, and mount points that move a little with heat, cold, and wind. Most installs are solid, but one small miss—like a lag that didn’t bite into framing or flashing that isn’t seated flat—can turn into a slow leak that takes time to show up indoors.

Water also travels. It can enter at one mount and drip somewhere else entirely, which is why a stain “away from the panels” doesn’t rule anything out.

Panels shade shingles too. That’s not automatically bad, but it can mean the shingles under the array age differently than the shingles around it.

If your roof isn’t ready, solar makes replacement harder (and more expensive)

The easiest time to handle roof work is before panels go on. A practical rule of thumb: if you can’t honestly see your roof lasting another 10 years, think hard about replacing it first.

Why? Because a reroof with solar usually means a remove-and-reset, new flashing work at mounts, and more coordination than you expect. Even when it’s straightforward, you’re paying for extra steps that didn’t have to happen.

Nobody likes hearing this, but the cheapest reroof is usually the one you do before you trap the roof under an array.

If you’re trying to judge roof life quickly, don’t rely on a driveway glance. After a steady rain, give yourself 10 minutes in the attic within the next 24–48 hours. Look for dark streaks on the underside of the deck, damp-looking wood near penetrations, or nail tips that look freshly rusted.

If your roof is already 12–15 years old, don’t just ask “can it last?”—ask what happens if it doesn’t. Also ask, up front, who is responsible for water-tightness around the mounts after everything is back in place. If you want a plain-language overview of how roof repair or replacement is typically handled when panels are in the mix, GRM Roofing NJ walks through the common options. Read it like a checklist. Then have your installer and roofer confirm—on paper—what they’ll do if a leak shows up later.

The details that matter most are boring: mounts, flashing, and layout

Most solar-related roof problems are water-management problems.

Mounts should be anchored into solid structure, not just sheathing. If a mount loosens even slightly, you get movement, and movement is what defeats seals.

Flashing matters more than sealant. Sealants dry out in sun and temperature swings; flashing is physical water-shedding that keeps working as materials expand and contract. I’ve seen water follow a rafter bay and show up 10–15 feet away from the actual entry point.

Layout affects maintenance. If panels are packed tight against an edge or crowded around vents, it’s harder to inspect the roof features that usually fail first. Even a modest clearance buffer—roughly 6–12 inches around plumbing vents and flashings—makes future checks and repairs far less frustrating.

Ask for photos during the install.

A few close-ups of mounts and flashing before panels go down can save a lot of guessing later.

After solar is installed, your maintenance routine should change a little

You don’t need to obsess over your roof, but you should switch to a simple cadence. Two checks a year is enough for most homes: one in early spring and one in late fall. Add a quick extra look after any storm with strong gusts, hail, or heavy branch debris.

After big rain, do an indoor sweep first. Check top-floor ceilings, closet corners, and around bathroom fans and skylights. Watch for bubbling paint, a soft drywall spot, or a faint ring that looks like it was traced lightly in pencil.

After wind, stand back and scan the roofline with your phone zoom. You’re not judging the solar hardware from the yard; you’re looking for roof clues around the array: lifted shingle edges at the perimeter, bent flashing, or debris piled in valleys. If you keep seeing leaves trapped behind the lower edge of the panels, that “leaf dam” holds moisture longer after rain and can speed up wear right where you can’t easily see it.

If you’re tempted to climb up, make safety the priority—wet surfaces and gusty conditions are a bad combo. This federal ladder safety guidance is boring, but it’s worth skimming before you decide a “quick look” is no big deal. Ladder safety guidance

Wind-driven rain is another sneaky one, because it pushes water sideways into seams that normal rain rarely tests. This wind and water infiltration guidance is a solid explanation of how water finds paths you wouldn’t expect (which is the same “why is the leak over there?” problem people run into after solar). Wind and water infiltration guidance

And if you ever need roof work under or near the array, treat it like a coordination job, not a “quick patch.” A good plan focuses on preserving flashing integrity and limiting movement at penetrations, not just adding more sealant and hoping for the best.

Takeaway

Solar is great, but it changes how your roof behaves and how problems show up. Time the roof work smartly, insist on real water-shedding details, and keep a simple inspection rhythm so small issues don’t turn into expensive surprises.

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5 Reasons to Pay for Asphalt Parking Lot Maintenance

If you believe a tiny crack or pothole in your asphalt parking lot is a big concern, think again. Small asphalt cracks and potholes can become larger and cost more to fix, and they can also increase your responsibility as a company owner. Here are 5 justifications for hiring a parking lot maintenance company. 

1. Prevent lawsuits

If you operate a commercial facility, you must maintain your parking lot properly to prevent facing legal action. You will be held liable if your parking lot has significant cracks and potholes that cause a customer’s car damage or personal injury. 

You are in charge of keeping your parking lot secure and functional for clients. You should contact an asphalt paving contractor to fix any potholes in the asphalt.

2. Stop cracks and potholes

Did you know that as temps change, asphalt will expand and contract? Parking lot crack repairs may become necessary if you don’t make the necessary investments in asphalt parking lot maintenance. 

Asphalt potholes are more prone to occur in parking lots that have structural cracks over time. Cracks and potholes might lessen the number of parking spaces that are actually useable in the lot in addition to being an eyesore.

Read more about the need for pothole repairs in your asphalt parking lot here.

3. Avoid Expensive Repairs

Small parking lot repairs are less expensive than having to replace your parking lot before it is necessary. Your asphalt surface won’t deteriorate over time if you make an investment in parking lot maintenance. 

If a new parking lot can be avoided, nobody wants to foot the bill. There is no reason your parking lot shouldn’t survive up to 20 years if you take good care of it.

4. Bring in more customers

A dilapidated parking lot is the single biggest item that may take away from the curb appeal of your commercial building. Focus on making a strong first impression as soon as they pull into the lot if the success of your company hinges on your ability to attract new customers or promote recurring business. 

If customers are unable to locate a parking space that is useable because of potholes, they will grow irate. Additionally, prospective customers can infer from the state of the parking lot that your company operates in general.

5. Property Value Growth

You should enhance the appearance of your asphalt parking lot if you intend to sell your commercial property soon. Large cracks and potholes won’t attract potential buyers because they will judge the property as soon as they come into the parking lot. 

After purchasing a home, buyers do not want to immediately pay for the replacement of the asphalt parking lot. In other words, severe parking lot damage lowers the value of your home and makes it more challenging to sell.

Dial Now!

The team at Hackensack Paving puts a lot of effort into assisting owners of business buildings with asphalt parking lot maintenance. Call our Hackensack asphalt repair professionals at 201-514-6060 if you’re interested in our service for repairing asphalt parking lots.

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Why Pavement Sealer Wears Off Asphalt Faster In Parts Of NJ.

I frequently have meetings with potential clients for property management in New Jersey to talk about pavement seal coating. The seal coating applications in this market do not last as long as they do in other markets where they manage properties, which is one of their main complaints. Their grievance is not without merit. Actually, that is entirely accurate.

“The Rock is everything,”

We must first look at the sort of stone used in the asphalt to understand why pavement sealers do not last as long in this market as they do in other nearby places. There are no aggregate quarries in southern New Jersey that are utilized to make hot mix asphalt. Rich sand deposits can be found in a variety of “sand pits” or simply “pits” in southern New Jersey (as they are referred to). From sewage sand to the real sand used as mineral filler in hot mix asphalt, these sand pits are dredged for high-quality sands. Because of this, quarries in eastern Pennsylvania have historically trucked the aggregate (also known as a rock) needed to produce hot mix asphalt into this area.

An argillite aggregate is used in several asphalt factories in New Jersey. New Jersey has a number of sizable argillite stone resources that are mined, processed, and then trucked to asphalt manufacturing facilities nearby.

Since I am not a geologist, I cannot explain why the argillite aggregate appears to oxidize more quickly than the conventional granite stone used to produce asphalt in other regions of New Jersey.

It is quite impossible to get pavement sealer to adhere to argillite once it starts to oxidize (become gray).

I was able to land a sizable national account as a client in my first year of operation. They assigned me a property in Voorhees, New Jersey, as their first project. The parking lot was only a few years old when I went to the project to execute the seal coating estimate, but the asphalt was quite smooth and gray. When I called my supplier, Neyra Industries, for advice, they suggested using a penetrating primer before seal coating.

The seal coating treatment lasted over five years since I followed their advice.

When applying a sealcoat, timing is crucial.

Generally, bonding problems with pavement sealer are avoided if it is applied within 18 months of the installation of the asphalt. The asphalt binder is still covering a lot of the aggregate over the first 18 months. You will experience bonding problems getting the pavement sealer to adhere in high-traffic areas, though, as the asphalt starts to exhibit signs of “graying out.”

Pavement priming: What Is It?

Application of a penetrating primer, such as Southern Emulsions Tarloc MPC, Maintenance Inc. Oxi-Bond, or Neyra Poly Prime, is known as “paving priming.” The primer works as a bonding medium to thoroughly and cohesively bind the pavement sealer to the asphalt by penetrating down into the asphalt.

What Takes Place When Seal Coating Oxidized Asphalt Without Applying A Primer?

Simply said, the pavement sealer will disappear from high-traffic areas in less than a year. The South Jersey pavement seal coating project seen in the photographs below was improperly primed before seal coating, which caused the pavement sealer to wear off in less than a year.

Does Every Parking Lot Need Priming For The Pavement Sealer To Last 3 Years In This Area?

No. Although it will aid in establishing a stronger bond between the pavement sealer and the asphalt, priming is not necessary for all seal coating operations. While most asphalt plants in the area use argillite, some of them use granite stone. Compared to argillite, granite stone oxidizes, but considerably more slowly. The images below show two different aggregate kinds being used to build asphalt. It would be necessary to prime the white and oxidized asphalt in order for the pavement sealer to adhere correctly.