Last updated: April 2026 · By L’Équipe Marcil inc, Sherrington (Quebec)
Quick summary: Crafco 522 is the reference hot-applied polymer-modified bitumen sealant used by the Quebec Ministry of Transportation (MTQ) for more than two decades. Its formulation meets the MTQ 14501 standard, which sets the minimum performance criteria for a sealant applicable on provincial road network pavements. If your contractor uses this product — or an approved equivalent — you have the assurance of a repair that will hold for several years in Quebec’s climate. This article explains what this standard is, why it exists, and how it protects the quality of your crack sealing.
What is the MTQ 14501 Standard?
The NQ 14501-100 standard, incorporated into the technical specifications of the Quebec Ministry of Transportation under the designation “Joint and Crack Sealants — Specifications”, defines the performance requirements that a bituminous sealant must meet to be used on Quebec roads, bridges, viaducts, and public infrastructure. It was developed from ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) standards, adapted to Quebec’s particular climatic conditions: intense freeze-thaw cycles, extreme temperatures ranging from -40 to +35 °C, and heavy winter salting.
The standard covers several measurable laboratory criteria:
- Softening point (“ring and ball” method): the sealant must remain solid above 82 °C, which ensures it will not flow on a pavement exposed to the July sun.
- Penetration at 25 °C: a measure of sealant hardness at ambient temperature. Target value between 30 and 90 dmm (tenths of a millimetre) under a standard load of 100 g for 5 seconds.
- Low-temperature flexibility: a sample wrapped around a 12 mm mandrel at -29 °C must not crack. This test simulates extreme Quebec cold on a loaded joint.
- Resilience: the sealant’s ability to recover its shape after deformation. Minimum target of 60 % recovery.
- Adhesion to substrate: the sealant must remain bonded to the asphalt after three extension-compression cycles at -29 °C.
- Compatibility with bituminous pavements: no softening or chemical attack of the surrounding paving during hot application.
A product that passes all these tests is eligible for MTQ public tenders and can be used on highway and provincial construction sites.
Why This Standard Matters to You
If you are a residential property owner or a commercial parking lot manager, you are not legally required to use a product compliant with the MTQ 14501 standard. But the standard was designed precisely for Quebec’s climatic conditions, and it filters out products that would not last more than one or two winters. Choosing an MTQ-compliant sealant means aligning with the same quality standard the government uses on its own road network — which must, by definition, endure.
Products sold in hardware stores in tube form or small pails are almost always below standard. They may look perfectly like professional sealant once applied, but they fail low-temperature flexibility or resilience tests, meaning they will crack by the first winter.
Crafco 522, the Reference Product in Quebec
Crafco is an American company founded in 1976 and specializing in pavement maintenance products. Its Roadsaver 522 sealant — commonly referred to as “Crafco 522” — has been marketed in Quebec since the 1990s and appears on the MTQ’s list of approved products. It is the sealant we use on the majority of our job sites at L’Équipe Marcil inc, and it is also what most of our serious competitors use in Montérégie and across Quebec in general.
Simplified composition of Crafco 522:
- Approximately 55 % refined industrial-grade bitumen
- Approximately 25 % SBS (styrene-butadiene-styrene) elastomeric polymers
- Approximately 15 % mineral fillers (calcite, silica)
- Approximately 5 % stabilizing agents and viscosity modifiers
Its main characteristics:
- Softening point: 94 °C
- Recommended application temperature: 188 °C (with a tolerated range of 182 to 193 °C)
- Maximum safe temperature: 204 °C (above this, the product begins to thermally degrade)
- Low-temperature flexibility: passes the test at -29 °C without cracking
- Resilience: 60–85 %
- Expected service life in Quebec’s climate: 5 to 7 years depending on sun exposure and traffic
How Crafco 522 Is Applied Correctly
Even the best product delivers nothing without rigorous application. Here is how we apply it on our job sites:
- Crack preparation. Cleaning with high-pressure compressed air to remove dust, sand, vegetation, and moisture. Heating with a propane torch to evaporate residual moisture and warm the substrate — a step often skipped by low-end contractors but critical for adhesion.
- Melting the product. Crafco 522 blocks are loaded into a double-boiler melter heated by propane. The double-boiler design ensures the product never comes into direct contact with the heat source. The operator continuously monitors the temperature with a digital thermometer and never lets the product exceed 200 °C.
- Application by wand. A heated hose connects the melter to an application wand held by a technician. The sealant is pumped under controlled pressure and injected to the bottom of the crack. The operator maintains a steady motion to create a uniform joint 5 to 10 mm thick at the surface.
- Finishing. The technician passes a heated squeegee or smoothing iron to give a uniform shape to the still-hot sealant. A thin layer of anti-tack powder (talc or silica flour) is dusted over the still-soft sealant to allow immediate traffic without transfer to tyres.
- Cooling and return to service. The sealant fully solidifies in approximately 20 to 30 minutes depending on ambient temperature. The site can be reopened to vehicles even before the melter has been moved to the next section.
Alternatives to Crafco 522
There are other MTQ 14501-compliant products on the Quebec market:
- Crafco Roadsaver 231: a slightly more economical version of the 522, with somewhat lower low-temperature elasticity. Suitable for residential parking lots with light traffic.
- Dynapave D-9000: a product manufactured in Canada by Dynapave Corporation, MTQ-approved, with performance equivalent to Crafco 522, slightly less expensive. A good alternative when Crafco 522 is out of stock.
- Meadowsprings MPS 2100: a product manufactured in Quebec, recently approved, with growing use on municipal job sites.
- Koch PolyGrid: a premium American product with fibre reinforcement. More expensive, generally reserved for heavy highway pavements.
For residential or light commercial use, all of these products are more than adequate. For a large-scale parking lot or industrial park, we recommend sticking with Crafco 522 or Dynapave D-9000, which have the best documented performance history in Quebec.
How to Verify Your Contractor Is Using the Right Product
- Ask for the commercial name of the sealant to be used, in writing in the quote. Not just “MTQ-compliant hot sealant” — the exact name.
- Verify the approval by consulting the MTQ List of Approved Materials, available on the ministry’s website. A product not on this list should not be used for professional work.
- Observe the blocks upon arrival at the job site: Crafco 522 blocks come in a cardboard box clearly printed with the product name, lot number, and manufacturing date. If the crew arrives with generic or unidentified containers, that is a red flag.
- Check the application temperature: the operator should have a visible digital thermometer and the product temperature should be between 182 and 200 °C. Too low, the product does not penetrate; too high, it degrades.
Have Your Sealing Done by a Team That Knows Crafco 522
L’Équipe Marcil inc exclusively uses polymer-modified bitumen sealant compliant with the MTQ 14501 standard, and Crafco 522 is our standard product on the majority of our residential and commercial job sites in Montérégie and on the South Shore of Montreal. Our technicians are trained to apply it at the correct temperature, with the appropriate equipment, following the manufacturer’s specifications. To learn more about our methods and get a quote, visit our dedicated page on asphalt crack sealing or contact us directly.
Related Services
This article is part of our documentation on Asphalt crack sealing. For a free quote in Montérégie and on the South Shore of Montreal, contact L’Équipe Marcil inc at (514) 826-3568.