One of the most crucial factors of being a successful asphalt sealcoating contractor is having the right equipment. If you've been shopping for sealcoating equipment lately, you know that there are many different options available. Not knowing the business very well, or at all, will leave you at the mercy of a salesman that will hopefully point you in the right direction. While there are equipment manufacturers and distributors out there who truly do have your best interests in mind, there are some that will sell you whatever they can in order to make a sale. Educating yourself on the concept of the equipment and why units are designed certain ways will give you an edge.

When selecting sealcoating equipment, keep in mind that this is an investment in your business, and it is likely the biggest one you will make. Therefore, it should not be made in haste. Do your homework. Determine the types of jobs you will be doing: primarily residential driveways, primarily commercial parking lots, or a little bit of both. Will you work part-time or full-time at this venture? How far you are from your sealcoating provider? If you are 20 minutes away, you’ll have an advantage over the sealcoater that is two hours from their provider. Another reason to think about this is that you won't want to spend all of your time driving back and forth, or waiting in line at your sealer provider’s location. Something else to keep in mind is that some sealcoating material providers give discounts for purchasing certain amounts of sealer such as 300 or 500 gallons. Be sure to take all these variables into consideration before you buy the smallest, most inexpensive sealcoating system on the market.

The next thing to look for is having the ability to spray your sealcoating material with your equipment. Most contractors nowadays are using the spray application method – Seal-Rite has equipment in every state, as well as several international locations. Although spraying has a bad reputation in some areas, if done correctly, it can dramatically increase your productivity without sacrificing quality. Also, having the ability to spray also gives you the ability to pump material out through the spray wand to areas that you want  it or that need to be cut in. This eliminates the need while on job site for carrying messy buckets of sealer where you want it. You want to come across as professional as possible, and splashing around on someone's driveway with buckets and being covered from head to toe in sealer isn't going to make you or your company look very professional. Remember, your image is going to speak loudly – make sure it says something good!

The spray application is the most effective and durable way to apply a quality sealcoating to asphalt – it places all the variables in the sealcoater’s hand. It alleviates variables that one would run into with hand application using brushes or squeegees. These variables include proper application rate, current quality of asphalt, proper mixing of material, etc. The negative opinion that some people have of spray application is due to the fact that there are some sealcoating contractors out there that will thin sealer more than the manufacturer’s recommendations, and therefore do not do reputable work. The negativity is caused by scam artists sealcoating improperly on purpose and creating this stigma, not the spray application itself. This negative opinion is most commonly affiliated with spray application because if these dishonest individuals used a hand application a customer would quickly notice the material was "watered down" and realize that the contractor was not providing what the customer had paid for. Therefore this negative reputation shouldn't be placed on spray application, but on those individuals who are taking advantage of people with their "rigs" – which have been known to be a trash pump on a cheap plastic tank.

In your quest to purchase your sealcoating equipment, be sure to compare features and design. An equipment manufacturer that has been a sealcoating contractor will have better insight into the equipment, as well as the business, than a manufacturer who has never been a sealcoater. When talking to a manufacturer or distributor, make sure they are looking out for your best interests, not just trying to push the cheapest system available on you. Remember, this is the person you will be calling if you have trouble later, so make sure you get a good feeling from speaking with them, that they are knowledgeable and that they are readily available when you have questions.

If you're new to the business, you may not understand the relevance of some features that are offered on the various systems. Most of the equipment on the market will have the same basic concept with a few small, yet very important differences. One of the differences will be the size of the filter pot. This is where the material will be strained for particles that are too large to pass through the spray wand's spray tip. It only makes sense that the larger the pot, the more time it will take for the pot to become full and therefore will need to be cleaned less often. Seal-Rite's extra large pot and unique strainer baskets are the best in the business. Another important feature to pay close attention to is the agitation system. It is responsible for making sure the material is properly mixed and that the sand is not left settling at the bottom of the tank. Seal-Rite systems have rubber wiper blades that drag the inside walls of the tank and do an excellent job of keeping the inside of the tank clean and the material well mixed. Others will only get close to the side, or may have indentions in the tank, which allow a place for the sand to settle. This settled sand and sealer will eventually become a sand bar in the tank, which will need to be cleaned out at the end of the season to keep it from breaking into pieces and clogging your system. Some people use "poly" (another word for plastic) tanks because they claim sealer doesn't stick to them. It does. “Poly” tanks (like all plastics) age when exposed to the sun and weather. They can fade, become brittle or crack – this is a serious problem when a tank that is your responsibility only needs to crack to release 500 gallons of sealer wherever you are at the time. Our top-quality heavy-gauge steel sealcoating tanks will last for many, many years with no risk of cracking or loss of strength. Another note for consideration, you cannot mix sealer properly using air bubbles – like in a fish tank, or by "recirculating" the material. Quality sealcoating application needs sand mixed in to get the best asphalt protection (you may choose to use additives as well) this is why professional sealcoating specifications always specify hydraulic "full-sweep" agitation.

If you are in the market for a trailer system, the gap widens a little bit when it comes to features. The trailer is a great idea for those contractors who sealcoat part time, or even those who do not want to invest in a separate vehicle for their work truck. At the end of the day, the trailer can be unhooked and the truck is free for other uses. Seal-Rite trailers come standard with a front deck to hold your blowers and other tools, making your system truly self contained. Other trailers will require a second truck, or the use of the back of the truck pulling the trailer to hold the rest of your equipment.

A hose reel also comes standard on Seal-Rite equipment but on other units are optional, so be sure you understand if the system you’re considering has that feature. A hose reel is worth its weight in gold. Seal-Rite equipment have swivel reels for optimum performance and ease of use. Few things are less professional than wrapping 100’ of nasty, sealer covered hose up on the side of your (hopefully clean) equipment and driving around town. Pay attention to little things - like if the hose reel is at your knees or at your shoulder. Are the fenders heavy duty for being walked on, transporting sand, or will they sag after the first use? Pay attention to the construction of the tank and the trailer or skid. Is it welded, bolted, or strapped? What are the weak points of the system you are considering? Will you feel comfortable loading this equipment up with sealer and driving 70 mph on the highway? Keeping all of these points in mind will help ensure that the investment you make for your company will be a good one. Remember at Seal-Rite we make our sealcoating units heavy-duty from the ground-up, our trailers are built around the tank. We never use units bolted or strapped to a utility trailer and call it a "trailer unit".

Give us a call today, our trained sealcoating professionals understand your needs and will help you plan and determine what will work best for you. Choose from our many models of asphalt sealcoating equipment, and then feel free to look at other manufacturers. (We’d also recommend that you talk to successful contractors who have been in the business.) Do your research, get your questions ready and we’ll look forward to hearing back from you when you're ready to "Seal-Rite".