Asphalt Maintenance FAQ's

The Short Answer: Sealing or "Sealcoating" an asphalt driveway runs between .15¢ and $1.25 Per Sq Ft nationwide.

The Real Answer: It depends. Is it a brand new asphalt driveway being sealed or an existing asphalt driveway with a rough surface? Newer, smoother asphalt will use less sealer material than older, rough asphalt.

Other factors that may effect the cost are the type and quality of sealer being used, the amount of cleaning needed before applying the sealer, the amount of repairs or patching that needs to be done before sealing the driveway, if any, and how much crack sealing needs to be done, if any.

These things combined determine the cost to seal an asphalt driveway.

No two driveways are ever the same. The cost to seal your driveway isn't going to be the same as the neighbor next door or the neighbor down the street.

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Answer: A minimum of 6 months after installation.

Most asphalt sealer manufacturers recommend waiting until your new asphalt driveway is 6 months old before sealing it.

Sealing your asphalt driveway too soon can damage the surface of the asphalt and cut it's life expectancy.

The Short Answer: An asphalt driveway should be sealed every 3 to 5 years.

Extended Answer: The frequency an asphalt driveway should be regularly sealed is dependent on the quality of the sealer used along with the amount and type of traffic on the driveway.

Steer clear of driveway sealing companies that recommend sealing your asphalt driveway every year or even every other year. Sealing your driveway too frequently can cause premature deterioration resulting in the driveway needing to be replaced much sooner than expected.

Answer: It depends on they type of application. Spray application, 2 coats. Squeegee application, 1 coat is sufficient.

Answer: Yes! There are beautiful asphalt sealing colors that can be purchased.

See colorful design ideas for asphalt driveways for more information.

Answer: Keeping cracks sealed up from moisture is extremely important and, if possible, should be done every year.

Answer: Yes. It's safe to use a pressure washer on your asphalt driveway. However,  if your driveway is rough and rocky and has significant damage, the high pressure of the water can damage the asphalt even further.

Is Spray or Squeegee Better For Asphalt Driveways?

When it comes to asphalt sealer application, the truth is, either one is better than none at all.

Spray Application

For an even wear, we always recommend a spray application. It's fast, it uses a bit less material, but it can be messy. As the sealer wears, it wears more evenly which looks much better aesthetically when the time comes to have it sealed again. It takes the urgency out of needing to have it done to look better.

Squeegee Application

For a more durable application, we prefer a squeegee application. It takes more time and uses more material, but it lasts much longer. However, it wears unevenly leaving visible brush marks as it ages. This increases the urgency of needing it done when the time comes since its not as pleasing aesthetically.

Once the asphalt sealer is dry, which can take from 6 to 24 hours, it’s safe to walk on.

Be aware though, the dry sealer can still turn the soles of your shoes slightly black and can be tracked into your home.

This is a very frequently asked question. Logically, it seems like asphalt sealer would be a hot application doesn't it? Surprisingly, it's not.

Asphalt Driveway Sealer Is Cold.

Sealing an asphalt driveway is great for extending the life of the pavement, particularly if it's done on a regular basis with a quality product.

Sealcoating can make a driveway look almost new again. It depends on the current condition of the asphalt.

If it's fairly smooth, has no need for any patching, and there is little or no cracking, sealcoating can make a driveway look almost brand new again!

However...

If you have a driveway that looks pretty beat up, don’t be fooled into thinking an inexpensive sealcoat application will make your driveway suddenly appear new again. It won't!

As a matter of fact, something one of my former bosses used to say and I got a pretty good laugh from was, "Sealcoating a raveled, cracked up and deteriorated asphalt driveway would be like repainting a wrecked car. It may have a fresh coat of paint, but it’s still a wrecked car!"

It's true!

Driveway sealer is similar to painting wood. Once it’s dry, we can still see the natural contours of the surface, but they’ll be much less evident depending upon the age of the asphalt and the amount of raveling and cracking that has occurred.

Imagine the difference between painting a rough cedar board vs a smooth sanded board. The end result is, the rough cedar board is still rough but much less.

Asphalt Driveway Sealers: Water based Or Oil Based?

Asphalt sealers come in both oil and water based. However, most reputable contractors use water based sealers.

Water based sealers can be an asphalt emulsion sealer, coal tar sealer or a mixture of both. Coal tar sealers are slowly getting phased out of the market as they are claimed to be carcinogenic and bad for the environment. As a matter of fact some states have banned coal tar based sealer.

Oil based sealers are also becoming more and more rare these days as they are high in VOC's and are not good for the environment either. While there are some good contractors out there who use use oil based sealers, unfortunately, they're few and far between. Most, not all, contractors that use oil based sealers are not applying the sealer per manufacturers specifications.

So why do they use them?

To increase profits!

Learn more about this and more by reading the Asphalt Maintenance Scam Survival Guide!

Asphalt sealer manufacturers generally offer additives like rubber, sand, hardeners and poly that will add more durability to asphalt sealers and help them last much longer than sealers purchased at a building supply store.

Sealer purchased straight from a company that manufactures asphalt sealer, is by far a much higher quality product.

To top it off, the cost is generally about the same price as the building supply stores.

Left untreated, oil spots on asphalt can slowly eat away at the binders and can cause irreparable damage.

With that in mind, it might be better to clean them yourself rather than waiting for the next time you hire a contractor to reseal your driveway to clean them.

Clean oil spots using a commercial de-greaser, a broom and water.

You may have to brush and rinse a few times to get all of the oil off but in the end it's well worth the effort. Just be sure to completely rinse off the commercial de-greaser entirely.