Frequently Asked Questions

Slurry Seal is a petroleum-based emulsion product, mixed with fine aggregate rock and fillers. It is blended on-site in a large truck, and then applied evenly across the entire surface of an asphalt street. A slurry seal is typically 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch thick. By reusing old tires and tennis balls as the filler and using special emulsion, new technology allows us to apply a slurry solution in the morning and then drive on it in the evening.

Slurry Seal provides a new protective surface and smooth driving surface to an existing asphalt street. By sealing the street, the base of the road is protected from water damage and the surface is protected from weathering. This extends the service life of our roadways and cuts down on costly repairs and repaving projects caused by oxidized aged pavement surface that has lost its flexibility. Slurry seal can extend the serviceable life of a residential street up to 40 percent.

Slurry Seal projects are usually scheduled to be done during the months of April, May, or June but may be delayed to allow the City to obtain better pricing and avoid short-term spikes in oil costs. Depending on the availability of funding, the pavement conditions of individual streets and the last time a particular street or area was slurry sealed, the City will select the next grouping of streets to be slurried from year to year. Prior to the streets being slurried, residents will receive notices from the City, and the contractor, with the date that street is to be slurried and parking instructions.

During the slurry seal application, access to your street will be interrupted for a maximum of 12 hours, one day only, unless the contractor is delayed due to equipment failures, weather-related problems, or other unforeseen reasons. If your street is not sealed as scheduled, it will be added toward the end of the list and you will be re-notified 24 to 48 hours in advance of the contractor returning and sealing your street. If your street is scheduled to be slurried, you will be asked not to drive or park on the listed day or to use your sprinklers or water hose. This will help to prevent aesthetic damage to the slurry.

It should not affect these services significantly. The Public Works Department coordinates with the Post Office, trash company, and the Police and Fire Departments so reasonable accommodations may be made.

The City’s Street Crew will be sealing cracks and patching street defects prior to the actual slurry seal. These activities may require numerous visits to your street due to the specialized nature of each repair method. This work can be dusty and noisy.

For streets that have road markings and/or permanent pavement markers, the city’s traffic crew will place temporary road markers wherever possible. Within one to two days the traffic crew will begin to repaint all the previous street markings and replace permanent pavement markers. The traffic crew will also locate any sewer manholes that might have been completely covered during the slurry process.

This is a normal short-term occurrence after slurry has been applied. A small percentage of rock does not adhere completely and eventually becomes loose. As cars travel the street, these small rocks are swept to the edge. These rocks will be cleaned up through the city’s weekly street sweeping program.