FAQ
WHY SEALCOAT MY DRIVEWAY?
Sealcoating your driveway will extend the life of the pavement structure. Sealcoating acts as a waterproofing agent, minimizing the rate at which water enters the asphalt. The intrusion of moisture into asphalt accelerates its deterioration and is strongly related to asphalt failure. Sealcoating asphalt prevents the seepage of water and moisture from rain and snow, thus preventing damage from freeze thaw cycles which is a common reason your driveway begins forming cracks or even worse, pot holes. Sealcoating leaves a smooth, clean surface and gives your entrance a fresh and new look. Sealcoating fills surface voids, and helps hide small cracks, patches and rough spots. Sealcoating costs pennies per square foot compared to the dollars needed to repair or replace aging asphalt pavement structures.
WHAT TYPE OF SEALCOAT WILL BE USED?
We use the best commercial grade sealer on the market, which exceeds specifications and contains proper amount of silica sand per gallon to ensure a very durable longer lasting application. A select mix of additives are blended to improve durability. Our sealer is also non-toxic, non-flammable and very eco-friendly. It has no solvents or petroleum distillates (i.e. kerosene, gasoline or diesel).
HOW OFTEN SHOULD I SEALCOAT MY DRIVEWAY?
We recommend sealcoating every 2-3 years. This number will heavily depend on amount of traffic, weight of vehicles and how sharp you turn on your driveway.
WHAT ABOUT THE OIL STAINS?
We will do our best to eliminate existing oil stains from your driveway. We apply an oil spot primer which is brushed onto the stain to prevent it from eating through the new layer of sealcoat. Unfortunately, not all stains can be completely removed, but this primer usually eliminates normal oil stains. There is no guarantee on the treatment of oil stains following your sealcoat application.
WHAT ARE THE TIRE MARKS?
When you begin using your driveway after sealing, you will notice for the first few weeks to a month, that it appears to be marking from the wheels of your car; this is to be expected and is normal. What’s happening is that the sand in our sealant mix is loosening at the very top of the coating. This will go away and clean up with time. Try not to turn your wheels in one place when not moving. This can result in what we call power steering marks. This will also fade with time and is not a warranty issue.
SPRINKLERS?
Please make sure your sprinkler system is turned off 24 hours prior to sealcoating and a minimum 0f 48 hours after sealcoating. This can potentially wash away the sealer.
SURFACE CRACKS?
We will fill ¼’ inch to 1” inch cracks with hot rubber. The crack sealer may not be smooth or flush to the asphalt, and may sink a bit based on outside temperatures and earth movement over time. This is normal and is not considered a warranty issue. Surface cracks smaller than ¼’ inch wide and alligator cracks will not be filled with hot rubber. While the sealer will seep into the cracks and make them airtight, it will not fill or repair them. If you have alligator cracks, sealcoating will help save your driveway from further cracking and deterioration, but it will not make the existing cracks go away. You would need to have the asphalt cut out and repaired to solve this type problem.
WHY ARE THERE AREAS OF SEALCOAT GRAYISH IN COLOR?
Sealer needs sunlight to cure. Shaded areas (near your house or trees) may appear grayish in color but will darken and blend with the driveway in time, usually 2-3 weeks. This is perfectly normal!
WILL YOU CLEAN MY DRIVEWAY PRIOR TO SEALING?
We will use high powered blowers and steel brush brooms to remove sand, dirt, and free-floating debris. We will treat existing oil stains, and clean vegetation extending through the cracks. We also weed whack driveway edges to give your surface a clean outside edge.
ARE PLOW MARKS NORMAL?
Anything that scrapes your driveway can damage it. Many scrapes and scratches look worse than they really are. Some snow removal companies use a rubber or polyurethane cutting edge on their plow blades to lessen the impact on your driveway, while others set the plow blade 1/2" above the surface to avoid damage. If possible, we recommend either option. Flat surfaces usually don't see any damage, it's uneven surfaces with high areas or sudden grade changes that are most susceptible to winter plow damage.