Asphalt or "blacktop" driveways need sealed or seal-coated about every 3 years.
With a little patience and understand, almost anyone can accomplish the task.
So here's what you need to know.
The composition of the driveway asphalt can be deteriorated by, oil, gas, grease, solvents, water, ultraviolet rays and other elements.
This is why your driveway needs sealed.
Sealing the cracks in your driveway will prevent penetration of these substances and extend the life and appearance of your asphalt driveway.
Picking a product There are several products you will need when preparing to seal your asphalt.
If you choose to contract the sealing out to a local contractor he will have access to better products than you do.
So what do you do to get a great job but save money? Well you can seal it yourself; however, you will have to purchase commercial-grade products on-line.
For most purposes, buying what you can't get from your local store will mainly be the sealer itself.
Now let's talk about driveway preparation.
HOT TIP! After purchasing a sealer.
Turn the sealer over on its lid to give the sealer time settle.
The sealer has most likely been stored upright and the contents have settled on the bottom.
Reverse that process before you begin the driveway preparation stage and you're sealer will be ready when you need it.
Driveway Preparation The first thing you will need to do is make sure you're not expecting rain for at least two days before you begin the preparation/ application process.
It is important that the ground temperature be at least 50 degree F.
Next you can make sure to have your grass cut back so it won't interfere with the application process.
The next thing to do is to thoroughly wash your driveway with a garden hose or power washer.
You may need to use a commercially available cleaning product and scrub oil stains with a course brush.
The idea is to remove as much oil, gas, grease, dirt and broken asphalt as possible.
The next thing you should do is fill any large cracks in the asphalt.
A good rule of thumb is to fill any cracks lager than 1/8" wide.
Special crack fillers are available.
Application My first piece of advice is "wear old clothes".
The sealer is not always water-soluble and no matter how careful you may try to be, you will get it on you.
Now that that's covered, the next thing you need to do is follow the manufacturers' recommendations about application.
However, with that said there are some general guidelines that you may want to follow.
After opening the bucket, stir the sealer with a clean stick.
Pour a little of the sealer out and try to work on small sections at a time (maybe ten foot square).
There is no need to tackle large sections.
Re-stir the sealer to keep a consistent mixture and begin again.
Go slow.
Take your time.
Apply thin, overlapping coats of sealer.
Try to work your way across your driveway and then back across; not all the way down one side and then back up the other.
Make sure to apply just one thin coat.
More is not better and if double coats are applied, the sealer could peel.
Don't work yourself into a corner either.
When the sealing is all done, make sure to put up barriers so that all access is prohibited.
Drying time is often more than 24 hours and try to keep all traffic off the driveway during that time; especially vehicles.
If you follow some of these steps, you will be rewarded with a trouble free application that will make your asphalt driveway look better and last longer.
HOT TIP! Get THE BEST crack filler and Asphalt sealer you can afford.
This job can be messy and no one wants to seal their driveway any sooner than they have to.
Make your hard work payoff by making your job last as long as possible!
With a little patience and understand, almost anyone can accomplish the task.
So here's what you need to know.
The composition of the driveway asphalt can be deteriorated by, oil, gas, grease, solvents, water, ultraviolet rays and other elements.
This is why your driveway needs sealed.
Sealing the cracks in your driveway will prevent penetration of these substances and extend the life and appearance of your asphalt driveway.
Picking a product There are several products you will need when preparing to seal your asphalt.
- Sealing squeegee or roller
- Crack repair products
- Asphalt Driveway Sealer
- Cleanup rags
- Hose or pressure washer
If you choose to contract the sealing out to a local contractor he will have access to better products than you do.
So what do you do to get a great job but save money? Well you can seal it yourself; however, you will have to purchase commercial-grade products on-line.
For most purposes, buying what you can't get from your local store will mainly be the sealer itself.
Now let's talk about driveway preparation.
HOT TIP! After purchasing a sealer.
Turn the sealer over on its lid to give the sealer time settle.
The sealer has most likely been stored upright and the contents have settled on the bottom.
Reverse that process before you begin the driveway preparation stage and you're sealer will be ready when you need it.
Driveway Preparation The first thing you will need to do is make sure you're not expecting rain for at least two days before you begin the preparation/ application process.
It is important that the ground temperature be at least 50 degree F.
Next you can make sure to have your grass cut back so it won't interfere with the application process.
The next thing to do is to thoroughly wash your driveway with a garden hose or power washer.
You may need to use a commercially available cleaning product and scrub oil stains with a course brush.
The idea is to remove as much oil, gas, grease, dirt and broken asphalt as possible.
The next thing you should do is fill any large cracks in the asphalt.
A good rule of thumb is to fill any cracks lager than 1/8" wide.
Special crack fillers are available.
Application My first piece of advice is "wear old clothes".
The sealer is not always water-soluble and no matter how careful you may try to be, you will get it on you.
Now that that's covered, the next thing you need to do is follow the manufacturers' recommendations about application.
However, with that said there are some general guidelines that you may want to follow.
After opening the bucket, stir the sealer with a clean stick.
Pour a little of the sealer out and try to work on small sections at a time (maybe ten foot square).
There is no need to tackle large sections.
Re-stir the sealer to keep a consistent mixture and begin again.
Go slow.
Take your time.
Apply thin, overlapping coats of sealer.
Try to work your way across your driveway and then back across; not all the way down one side and then back up the other.
Make sure to apply just one thin coat.
More is not better and if double coats are applied, the sealer could peel.
Don't work yourself into a corner either.
When the sealing is all done, make sure to put up barriers so that all access is prohibited.
Drying time is often more than 24 hours and try to keep all traffic off the driveway during that time; especially vehicles.
If you follow some of these steps, you will be rewarded with a trouble free application that will make your asphalt driveway look better and last longer.
HOT TIP! Get THE BEST crack filler and Asphalt sealer you can afford.
This job can be messy and no one wants to seal their driveway any sooner than they have to.
Make your hard work payoff by making your job last as long as possible!