Sealcoating FAQs

Sealcoating refers to the process of adding a protective layer to asphalt surfaces to safeguard them from the damaging effects of various environmental factors. It is a crucial aspect of asphalt maintenance. 

The primary purpose of sealcoating is to extend the life of the asphalt and enhance its appearance. Professional sealcoating helps protect asphalt from many potentially damaging factors, including:
» Nature & The Elements
» Water Damage
» Chemicals
» Oxidation

Secondary benefits of sealcoating include generally enhancing the value of a given property by helping with:
» Saving money on removing the need for frequent repair & maintenance
» Enhancing property appearance to look cleaner & safer
» Sealcoating makes asphalt easier to wash

» Power blow the driveway to remove dirt, debris, rocks, leaves, etc.
» Fill any cracks that can be filled (see section about cracks below)
» Hand squeegee on our commercial-grade coal-tar emulsion sealer
» Barricade off the end of the driveway at the street

We recommend that you stay off your driveway for 48 hours. If you must use your driveway please allow at least 24 hours of drying time. In the spring and fall when the weather is cooler, drying will take longer. 

Also, shaded areas can take longer to dry. Try to avoid making any turns of your steering wheel as that can grind away sealcoating that may not be fully cured.

We fill as many cracks as we are able to. Cracks are filled at the discretion of the crew.

Hair-line/alligator cracks cannot be filled (see below pictures of alligator/hairline cracks).

Cracks that are too large or deep can be filled but may open up again. Cracks can stay filled for years or can re-open again days later if they are too deep. When cracks are too deep the filler material will continue to sink down into the ground below.

If the cracks on your driveway continue to open up then it is likely that they are deeper than they appear. 
 
A homeowner can try to fill the crack with sand or a material like FlexSeal before we arrive for service. The only permanent fix is to cut out and replace that section of the driveway.

If you have small holes or pits, we can fix them using cold patch material for an additional charge. Cold patch is a temporary fix and cannot be seal coated over. For larger areas of potholes or “chunks” taken out of the driveway we can provide a quote for repaving a section of the driveway or a complete driveway replacement.

For best results, we recommend that you apply an oil primer or kitty litter on the oil stain for 24+ hours to absorb as much of the oil as possible before we come to sealcoat your driveway. If you are unable to prime the oil stain, we will try to prime it as best we can, however, oil is a pesky material and we cannot offer any guarantee that it will not show through again.

If you have weeds, we recommend that you apply weed killer or scrape the weeds out before we arrive, as that will help you to get the best results after sealcoating. We will do our best to remove any weeds before sealcoating, but depending on their size and scope we may not be able to remove everything.

We cannot fix dips or sunken areas with sealcoating. These areas would need to be cut out and repaved.

We diligently watch the weather forecast throughout each day and week.
As a general rule, if the chance of rain is 30% or greater, we may decide to postpone the sealcoating services and we will contact you the day before or the morning of your scheduled date to reschedule your appointment.

Occasionally, we may experience “pop-up” showers that cause us to pull our crews. If that happens, we will contact you as soon as possible to let you know and to reschedule you for another date.
We cannot sealcoat when it rains or if the pavement is wet, so we will have to postpone any seal coating if this happens.

Oil-based sealcoating products were found to be carcinogenic and were outlawed by the EPA over 10 years ago.

Today, we use premium commercial-grade coal tar and asphalt emulsion sealers. Both are water-based sealers that protect and extend the life of your asphalt. We apply the material by brush and squeegee which allows the crew to control the application and get up to the edge of the asphalt.

Most cities and municipalities are moving toward the use of asphalt emulsion sealers, but both asphalt emulsion and coal tar emulsion sealers are premium long-lasting products when applied properly. Many cutting-edge products used today feature a blend of these 2 sealers to provide a deep dark black finish that lasts as long as possible.