Sealing asphalt driveway????????
- Thread starter bigndn
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When I helped my Grandpa fix potholes in their road, we used sealing oil or sand.
If you're talking about rolling on the black sealcoat on your drive way, I say nay. Sealcoat is soley cosmetic. If you like black and shiney, go for it. It does nothing to protect the asphalt.
1911
chupacabra
I have mine sealed every year or two with some thick flat black stuff that they squirt into any cracks and coat the top with. It lasts a long time, and seems to help preserve the asphalt but I don't know what's in it.
If it has serious cracks, fill and seal. I am not fond of the look, but it's better than a cracking driveway, for sure.
Have it sprayed on. Looks much better.
Have it sprayed on. Looks much better.
- Thread starter
- #6
We just had the driveway asphalted last summer, so it still looks really nice. Interstate recommended having it sealed after one or two years, so maybe I'll try to find some that have been sealed and take a look. Thanks for the advice, guys!
Asphalt is a flexible pavement, meaning it has to be driven on to keep it alive, think of bread dough, if you keep kneading it it stays pliant, stop kneading it and it dries up. It also has a tendency for failure depending on what it was built on and even weather/soil conditions. If it is cracking fill the voids with sand and get a good sealer and put it on top to cap the crack about 1.5 to 2 inches thick. Once it starts there is really no stopping it but you can seal it to keep it from failing any further. I used a asphaltic caulk on my buddies two years ago and it's held up pretty good. The caulk I used was intended for roofing. It is made to adhere to uneven and sometimes dirty surfaces and pliant. I think the term they use is elastomeric? If you are sealing it with a fog seal just to make it black, don't waste your money.
we had cracks filled and then had he whole driveway sealed - it lasted for about 5-6 years
it was a few hundred dollars at the time (they also left some sprinkles on the light colored siding by the garage
) - but I would do it again; in fact, I am planning on it for 2010
it was a few hundred dollars at the time (they also left some sprinkles on the light colored siding by the garage
) - but I would do it again; in fact, I am planning on it for 2010