Asphalt drive way sealer

[steve63]

Is there a sealer better than the rest. I find the AVIATION GRADE sealer a joke because most airports use concrete because jet engines do not like
the little things from asphalt that pop in to engines. Thank you for your input.

 

[rburke65]

I think most are latex based today....not al.....most.

 

[flan]

It’s a paint job for your driveway. No real benefit for it other than looks. It becomes another maintenance item. I’d skip it unless it’s been done in the past and you are just giving it a refresh.

 

[rburke65]

It does seal the cracks and prevents the water from getting in

 

[Showkey]

Driveway sealer..........One of those hot topics, controversial.........

https://greengarageblog.org/19-sealing-asphalt-driveway-pros-and-cons


Was in the sealer camp for years........sold the home with a marginal asphalt drive after 17 years......it was black when it sold. It took 12 5 gallon cans to complete every 2-3 years.

Now new to me home 8 years ago........23 year old drive with a cold winter season..........few cracks, no sealing ever. No plan to seal it.

 

[kelpaso1]

It’s a paint job for your driveway. No real benefit for it other than looks. It becomes another maintenance item. I’d skip it unless it’s been done in the past and you are just giving it a refresh.

X2. Does not do anything meaningful. It does Not "seal" an asphalt driveway, just makes it look better. Waste of money IMO.

 

[sweetk30]

Keeps the blacktop from drying out. . Helps from ice and snow from sticking . Keeps a good look .

I wont use store bought **** . . . But i do this for a living . Do NOT get a spray job as its thinned almost 1/3rd of reg old brush down job .

You can get best bang for the buck if you find a brush down job guy and if he uses a thick mix NOT watered down to much sealer .

For years now its all water based mix and thinned with water. But if you get a honest guy you get a SOLID job .

 

[Lynden]

I've used quite a few different driveway sealers and the best one I have found is Henry 502 Asphalt Resurfacer. Work the sealer into the surface with a brush and then lightly squeegee. If your driveway has cracks which need filling, Henry Crack Filler works well.

https://henry.com/retail/driveway-sealers/532-driveway-asphalt-resurfacer

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Henry-Comp...V8xplCh3imAzcEAQYASABEgILyfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

https://www.lowes.com/pd/kraft-18-i...VOTizAB31Vg8NEAQYAiABEgLkKvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Sumboodie]

Keeps the blacktop from drying out. . Helps from ice and snow from sticking . Keeps a good look .

I wont use store bought **** . . . But i do this for a living . Do NOT get a spray job as its thinned almost 1/3rd of reg old brush down job .

You can get best bang for the buck if you find a brush down job guy and if he uses a thick mix NOT watered down to much sealer .

For years now its all water based mix and thinned with water. But if you get a honest guy you get a SOLID job .

They used oil based here.

 

[Showkey]

One issue with oil base ( which is not sold in many areas) it tracks into the home.
Vinyl flooring and carpet first to show the effects.

Second........takes longer to dry.

Third ..........it smells for weeks.

 

[Sumboodie]

One issue with oil base ( which is not sold in many areas) it tracks into the home.
Vinyl flooring and carpet first to show the effects.

Second........takes longer to dry.

Third ..........it smells for weeks.

Was waterproof after install.. can be done in the rain even.
Dry in a day.

No smell that I noticed.

It gets sprayed in then spread with a squeegee.

 

[dwasifar]

Sitting here aching after putting two coats on the driveway yesterday.

I had the driveway repaved last fall, and the paving company required sealcoating after six months for warranty purposes. So there's a reason right there.

I used this:

I've used it before with good results. Usually the durability claims on the bucket are pure fantasy, but this stuff actually outlasted the driveway I put it on. When the asphalt was pulled up after six years, the sealcoat still looked pretty good. I had significant sinkage near the garage, and the apron was coming apart because the builder's contractor did a bad job, less than 2" thick in some spots. So there was not much that a sealcoat could do about those things, but it did hold together some of the disintegration of the apron and let me keep using it until the village got around to fixing the curb.

My understanding is that sealcoating helps prevents freezing damage to the surface by limiting how deeply water can soak in. The more porous the surface, the deeper water can penetrate, and the more damage when it freezes. As evidence for it filling the porosity of an uncoated asphalt surface, I offer the fact that the first coat took 50% more product than the second; all that extra material is filling up the nooks and crannies.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

I had mine "seal coated" a few years ago. They came in with a truck, sprayed a mix of heated tar and gravel then compacted with a roller. It fixed spots where the asphalt was crumbling. Definately not a DIY solution.
Cost was not much more than buying products at the big box stores.

F

 

[Showkey]

I had mine "seal coated" a few years ago. They came in with a truck, sprayed a mix of heated tar and gravel then compacted with a roller. It fixed spots where the asphalt was crumbling. Definately not a DIY solution.
Cost was not much more than buying products at the big box stores.

F

Local residential roads in our area use the same road repair restore process and actual stands up to traffic and plowing. Usually repeated every 5-7 years.

One draw back on hot days the tar warms, softens and wheel turns will disturb the surface. That warm tar will track........

 

[rburke65]

Interested in the responses here as I am going to have a section of my gravel drive black topped in 2 weeks or so.

 

[andyvh1959]

My driveway is asphalt on top of 4" concrete. House was built in 73 when the road was gravel. My guess is after the road was built it ended up higher than the driveway, plus my driveway slopes down from the street level. Near I can figure the asphalt topping over concrete was done to raise the driveway level.

I've been in the house since 2002, and have never applied any sealer/topcoat on the asphalt which has aged to kind of dark grey concrete color. It is solid, even when the front discharge mixer truck came down the driveway to pour the slab for my new garage. But over the decades some sections have sunk a bit, some large cracks. Have thought about getting the old asphalt scraped off and then apply a new layer of asphalt to smooth everything over and create a new apron up to the new detached garage.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

It does seal the cracks and prevents the water from getting in

Not really. There's no sealer that actually "seals" blacktop. It just wears right off the surface. The way to "seal" cracks is hot tar.

Honest paving contractors won't even sell sealers. It's almost a snake oil.

Tommy

 

[jkeyser14]

Not really. There's no sealer that actually "seals" blacktop. It just wears right off the surface. The way to "seal" cracks is hot tar.

Honest paving contractors won't even sell sealers. It's almost a snake oil.

Tommy

That's not true. Latex sealers fill the pores and prevent water from causing freeze-thaw damage or weakening the driveway's base.

Contractor grade sealers (when the real stuff is used and not diluted) does renew some of the hydrocarbon chains in the asphalt which keeps it more flexible and protects against excess UV damage.

Both sealers will wear off the top of the aggregate, but that has zero effect on their performance which really takes place between the aggregate.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Lets just say I disagree. Sales hype. I can't count the square footage of "sealed" blacktop I've seen with freeze thaw damage. UV protection? Asphalt pavement is made up of small stones and sand. Over 90% of the exposed surface is stone, which is immune to UV.

Tommy

 

[mudcat]

I have just recently started to research this topic since my soon to be new house has a 1200' long asphalt driveway. I don't want to even think about what it would cost to replace that driveway and I know adding a layer of seal coat won't be cheap but I have to believe it will prolong the life of the asphalt.

 

[SVTchris]

I have just recently started to research this topic since my soon to be new house has a 1200' long asphalt driveway. I don't want to even think about what it would cost to replace that driveway and I know adding a layer of seal coat won't be cheap but I have to believe it will prolong the life of the asphalt.

I have the same driveway situation and the biggest benefit I find is that no salt is needed after snow plowing or light snow. The sun and dark pavement take care of 95% of it. I find 2 coats of heavy commercial sealer every 5 years is about right. If you or your plow service plow with a blade that has a poly or rubber edged blade, you can probably extend that to 8 to 10 years between sealings.

 

[PassnThru]

I've been stuck in the sealer abyss for a lot of years now. I had my driveway repaved about 18 years ago when I added the detached garage. I think it's been sealed twice since then. It has cracks - and they appeared not long after - I've put some crack sealer in them. Even when I had it sealed it didn't completely seal the cracks so I've erred toward just not having it done. I know for sure of only one reason not to do it - you don't track it in the house and spend a few days parking in the yard.
Amazingly after all these years I still can't find one actual study on the internet that proves sealing prolongs the life of the asphalt. And discussions about it always come down to two camps - it's either worthless or you are stupid not to do it.
Presented with such underwhelming evidence, and taking the average, I've just stopped doing it.

 

[ZRX61]

I believe Starbucks sells under the name "coffee".

 

[kelpaso1]

Amazingly after all these years I still can't find one actual study on the internet that proves sealing prolongs the life of the asphalt. And discussions about it always come down to two camps - it's either worthless or you are stupid not to do it.
Presented with such underwhelming evidence, and taking the average, I've just stopped doing it.

Exactly my thoughts also. I compare it to a "paint job". My neighbor does it every year and his driveway does not seem any better than mine as far as durability. But his looks all nice and BLACK every spring

 

[ckanderson]

Had it done to mine a few years ago. Didnt last a year so they warrantied it and resprayed it. Didnt last.

Though it definitely helps the curb appeal of the house

 

[rburke65]

I just had a new blacktop drive installed, and now I am also up in the air as to seal or not to seal.

 

[Wheelingit]

I sealed my driveway three times in 22 years. Had it done twice professionally and once by myself. Seems like a waste of money. Driveway deteriorated badly and I wound up installing new blacktop last year. Will never seal the new blacktop again.

 

[Showkey]

I just had a new blacktop drive installed, and now I am also up in the air as to seal or not to seal.

As controversial as sealing is:
If its new I would certainly wait several years before even thinking about sealing.

Especially In your case a new asphalt has a lot of oil in it…………I would never consider a water based sealer in the first several years. Watch the rain react with new oily asphalt.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

I had mine "seal coated" a few years ago. They came in with a truck, sprayed a mix of heated tar and gravel then compacted with a roller. It fixed spots where the asphalt was crumbling. Definately not a DIY solution.
Cost was not much more than buying products at the big box stores.

This is a different process known as 'oil and screening'. interesting on the price , as it requires 2x material and 2 types(oil and gravel).

Not really. There's no sealer that actually "seals" blacktop. It just wears right off the surface. The way to "seal" cracks is hot tar.

Honest paving contractors won't even sell sealers. It's almost a snake oil.

Lets just say I disagree. Sales hype. I can't count the square footage of "sealed" blacktop I've seen with freeze thaw damage. UV protection? Asphalt pavement is made up of small stones and sand. Over 90% of the exposed surface is stone, which is immune to UV.

Tommy

Many state city county and federal transportation entities have done very serious cost benefit studies on recoating of asphalt, which are a matter of public record along with what they spc in their contracts. Its usually pretty heavy reading, but you can find it with google.

No sealer will fix a crack, squishout or unravelling. Crack filler is a much heavier oil that gets applied before the reseal using a small V shaped squeegee, Really probably needds a structural fix, but that will slow the decay, and in a low traffic application like a driveway will be fine for may years.

Asphalt pavement is made up of small stones and sand. Over 90% of the exposed surface is stone, which is immune to UV.

Tommy

Sure, but...its held together with oil which dries out, washes off, and is subject to abrasion, not to mention, asphalt is a liquid like glass, every rock moves a little each time its driven over. Thats why asphalt is not permitted as 'permanent' like concrete (possibly a little mob influence there too). Once the oil fails, you are left with a gravel road.

I have personally participated in the installation and repair of hundreds thousands of of tons of the stuff, but I have never opened one of the toy cans of toy stuff from the box store. I think we paid about the same for a ton of patch compound as they sell a bag for. check in with your local asphalt plant, they will know for sure what works in your climate.

 

[Showkey]

In the quest for jet black drive way here’s an example for 15-20 year old drive Ways.
One has sealed multiple times to the point where it’s alligator texture. It had been sealed this week in an attempt to cover or fix it……or at least make it black again.
The other driveway down the road has never be sealed.