The smell is coal tar. And a real pro will have sand in his mix so it isn't slippery when wet. I haven't seen anyone use a hot mix in a long time. That stuff is outlawed in most states. People see us pulling a trailer around with a tank, and automatically assume it's heated for some reason.
And Nate, ask him what the name of this "hot sealer" is called. If he says gilsonite, walk away. Like I said before, it's widely outlawed. That stuff is dilluted with anything from diesel to kerosene and such. The very same products you want to protect your asphalt from.....Sure, petroleum products are used to make asphalt, that's what makes it soft and "workable" when applying it.
Which brings up 1 more thing: Wait 6 months to 1 year to seal new asphalt. If you seal it before those chemicals have a chance to evaporate, the asphalt will never solidify.
As far as price, that's tricky to answer. I'm also on an asphalt forum, and can tell you prices vary ALOT across the U.S. and also depends on how much prep work has to be done. And if you've never had it sealed before, it will take more sealer, so I will charge accordingly.
And do yourselves a favor. Wether it's paving or sealing. Make sure the company is locally owned. Too many scammers in our line of work that do shoddy work, take your money, then go on to the next town or state.
