Contractor: TxDOT window limits silcoat work; county presses for durable fixes

During a Q&A about planned sealcoating, Braxton Pruitt, foreman for Lone Star Equipment, told county staff that seasonal rules and material availability constrain when crews can apply silcoat.

"Silco is only, by TxDOT standards, is permitted between May 15 and September 1," Pruitt said, adding that outside that window it is often difficult to find the material. He linked timing to both regulatory permitting and practical availability of supply.

County questioners pressed for reassurance about long-term performance after reports of lingering problems on some roads. "We have had problems with some roads," one questioner said, urging the contractor to be "dependable, that's gonna come back and say, I understand, and I'll fix it." Pruitt asked for specifics about which roads and the particular defects cited so the crew could address them.

Why it matters: The TxDOT application window limits when sealcoat can be applied; if work is delayed past that window, repairs or preventative treatments may be deferred into the next season. County staff must coordinate scheduling, materials procurement and follow-up repairs.

Pruitt said the crew will return to hard-broom and patch areas after application once the material has settled; he noted that return timing to fix problems depends on the season and other logistics.