Asphalt sealing....what's the scoop?
- Thread starter bigndn
- Start date
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Usually driveways are put down with a fairly thin layer of top mix. The sealing will help fill in any small hairline cracks that have developed. Water that gets in these cracks can cause "pumping" when you drive over them while it's raining or if the sub base is soaked from the water entering the crack. That's not good. Also very bad to have a wet sub-base under the asphalt in winter the added moisure and frost will heave and crack your pavement to smithereens.
If they did a good quality job you should not have to do anything for a good long time. You may not like the look of a sealing job either.
If you have cracks in a new driveway I would go grab the contractor by the throat and have them re do the drive.
If you have cracks in a new driveway I would go grab the contractor by the throat and have them re do the drive.
seal coating is a scam. it lasts one year , period.
A diy seal coat is fine, but a pita.
My driveway lasted 12 yrs. before I noticed a "small" crack.
A diy seal coat is fine, but a pita.
My driveway lasted 12 yrs. before I noticed a "small" crack.
I have a landscape customer who has a rubber driveway. Literally. He has it sealed every Summer and has been doing it for 15 years or so. It is squishy to walk on when it is hot out.
Definately go with a DIY job if you choose to do it I agree.
If you had a good quality driveway put down I wouldn't worry about it for a while.
Check out some people who have the seal coat finish and see if that's the look you want first.
- Thread starter
- #7
Good ideas, guys. Thanks for the input. I'll call the sealing company and get a referral listing.
The contractor was Interstate. They excavated 8" out of the driveway, brought in 5" of their base, shaped it, compacted it, sterilized it, and then topped it with 4" of asphalt. It looks really nice and there are no major cracks.
There are, however, 2 minor cracks where the asphalt meets the gravel, I assume from the pressure of driving off it. These cracks are only 2' long and probably 3" in from the edge.
Should I put some tar in those to seal them before next winter?
The contractor was Interstate. They excavated 8" out of the driveway, brought in 5" of their base, shaped it, compacted it, sterilized it, and then topped it with 4" of asphalt. It looks really nice and there are no major cracks.
There are, however, 2 minor cracks where the asphalt meets the gravel, I assume from the pressure of driving off it. These cracks are only 2' long and probably 3" in from the edge.
Should I put some tar in those to seal them before next winter?
Be sure to back fill the edges of the driveway so that car tires do not crack the edge. If the dropoff is 4" or more put a layer of stone dust then topsoil and seed to the level of the asphalt.
But yes, fill the little cracks. You can get sealer in tubes to fit a caulking gun. Ace hardware.
But yes, fill the little cracks. You can get sealer in tubes to fit a caulking gun. Ace hardware.
- Thread starter
- #9
I've already back filled at a slope of approx 3:1 with gravel, but it was only lacking in a few areas, that's where it cracked.
Sealer? Will Black Jack and the like work OK?
I dunno brand names but anything Ace sells is fine by me. I could swear I saw asphalt sealer in caulk gun sized tubes.
Warm the unopened tube in the oven for 20 minutes at about 100 degrees. I turn the oven off halfway thru so my wife does not freak out.
Warm the unopened tube in the oven for 20 minutes at about 100 degrees. I turn the oven off halfway thru so my wife does not freak out.
You do not really tell where your at but there are a few things to know about asphalt. One, it is a flexible pavement which means it needs to be driven on to stay flexible unlike concrete which is rigid and will stay there for years on end without any type of traffic. Two : the weather in your area has alot to do with it and the preparation of the site prior to construction. What I mean by that is did they prep the sub base correctly? plenty of moisture in the sub base and base. Did they let the base cure out prior to paving? What the weather has to do with all of this is if it was constructed properly and you encounter drought type conditions like we have here in South Texas for almost a full year now the ground will dry and crack which will cause the asphalt to crack from the bottom up. You can tell this by putting a small stick, knife or anything else in the crack and if it penetrates deeper than the thickness of the asphalt then that more than likely is the culprit. watering does help but depending on how long the driveway is , that could be alot of water and not very cost effective. If you are going to crack seal I would find your local DOT specs and follow them and not just stuff it full of junk you buy at the local hardware store because it usually does not have any binding capabilities which will again crack probably within a year. You can look up Texas DOT home page and check out TxDOT item 712 for some tips. All of that said, if it is just the edge cracking where you drove off of it I would "shoulder up" and seal the mat to prevent further damage.
hope that helps.
hope that helps.
