N/A When to seal asphalt driveway?

mikea

mikea

Touchdown! Greaser!
Gone West
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iWin
Me again.

My large driveway is pocked and slightly crumbling.

I have a bid from a local, vouched for guy, to seal it for $200.

He wants me to do it now, but he needs business. It has to be done in the next few warm weeks.

I'm wondering if I can wait until Spring.

Question: Is being sealed to better endure the freeze/salt/thaw of winter snow enough of a reason to make my driveway pretty now before it gets covered up?
 
I'd say you should probably seal it before it gets cold. If the crack/hole gets water in it, and that water freezes, it will expand and make a much bigger, prettier crack. :D
 
Better to seal now before the cold and salt and wet. The temps are still pretty good too. BTW I paid $250 last year for seal coating.
 
Better seal it now. It will withstand the winter better. If you don't you will have a bigger mess next spring. For all the above mentioned reasons.
 
I just find myself imagining just how hot an asphalt driveway would get in the Texas summer sun, they'd liquify and burn your little paddy-paws... guess that's why we rarely see asphalt driveways here.
 
SCCutler said:
I just find myself imagining just how hot an asphalt driveway would get in the Texas summer sun, they'd liquify and burn your little paddy-paws... guess that's why we rarely see asphalt driveways here.
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I know a guy who said he was on a business meeting in New Mexico with a woman, and when she stepped onto the asphalt her hell got stuck in it.
 
mikea said:
Me again.

My large driveway is pocked and slightly crumbling.

I have a bid from a local, vouched for guy, to seal it for $200.

He wants me to do it now, but he needs business. It has to be done in the next few warm weeks.

I'm wondering if I can wait until Spring.

Question: Is being sealed to better endure the freeze/salt/thaw of winter snow enough of a reason to make my driveway pretty now before it gets covered up?
Click to expand...


Seal now and make sure he uses a rubberized crack filler before sealing if you have any cracks over, say, 1/8" wide. As others have said, you want it sealed before going into the winter.

Also, it's best to seal when the temps will stay above 40dF for 48 hours after you seal.
 
rubber314chicken said:
I know a guy who said he was on a business meeting in New Mexico with a woman, and when she stepped onto the asphalt her hell got stuck in it.
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There are certain times not to wear high heels, particularly those tiny, pin-like heels. Asphalt is one of them.

Boortz has spoken of a secretary his partner once had in their law firm years ago before he became a recovering attorney. He said she was a big woman who must have tipped at around 300. She always insisted on wearing very small, high heeled shoes. Boortz cringed every time she walked across their new Oak hardwood floor. I can only imagine the damage to that beautiful floor.
 
mikea said:
Me again.

My large driveway is pocked and slightly crumbling.

I have a bid from a local, vouched for guy, to seal it for $200.

He wants me to do it now, but he needs business. It has to be done in the next few warm weeks.

I'm wondering if I can wait until Spring.

Question: Is being sealed to better endure the freeze/salt/thaw of winter snow enough of a reason to make my driveway pretty now before it gets covered up?
Click to expand...

Yep, seal now. Also make sure the pavement has positive drainage. Nothing kills asphalt paving faster than standing water (except soft subgrade).


Trapper John
 
Trapper John said:
Yep, seal now. Also make sure the pavement has positive drainage. Nothing kills asphalt paving faster than standing water (except soft subgrade).


Trapper John
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I disagree on all counts. I've gone through 3 asphalt driveways so far. The first one was sealed annually and crumbling after 6 years. The second which was never resealed looked better than the first at 6 years which is when I sold that house. The third which was sealed once at the end of it's first year is starting to crumble after 20 years. I attribute the difference to the fact that the third driveway is shaded by trees in the summer and sees very little sun. The first driveway had significant slope and never held water, the last is nearly level and water stays for much longer.

And the worst enemy of asphalt is gas or oil, something that no sealer I know of offers significant protection from. I've been told by "experts" that periodic "sealing" of asphalt will make it look new longer but it won't extend it's useful life even in the rough winters here in MN.

I do agree that packing all cracks with a rubberized filler ought to help reduce the freeze/thaw cycle damage but you've got to do this to virtually every tiny crack you can see, not just the big ones. But if you can afford and have room for a 2 inch asphalt cap on your existing driveway it will extend the life enough to be worth the cost, assuming the existing base is sufficient.
 
ausrere said:
Uh oh!...moving to Austin may be having an effect....

Have you met Leslie yet Ken? :rofl::D
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Nope... too busy getting high or trying to get high! :p

When are you bringing your tushie to the airport? Hmmmm? :)
 
KennyFlys said:
Where ya going?
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Going to Barcelona to get on a cruise. Cruise is then going to Nice, France; Florence, Rome, Naples, and Sicily, Italy; then back to Barcelona. Leaving on the 4th, getting back on the 18th.
 
ausrere said:
Going to Barcelona to get on a cruise. Cruise is then going to Nice, France; Florence, Rome, Naples, and Sicily, Italy; then back to Barcelona. Leaving on the 4th, getting back on the 18th.
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That should be a nice trip. While in the Navy, I spent a lot of time in Naples. I always went to the Galleria to make phone calls home. It has a beautiful glass ceiling that I recall. Other stops were Monaco, down the road from Nice; Crete and Sicily.

I had always wanted to go back and see a few areas but probably never will. There's too much to see in this country, yet.
 
lancefisher said:
I disagree on all counts. I've gone through 3 asphalt driveways so far. The first one was sealed annually and crumbling after 6 years. The second which was never resealed looked better than the first at 6 years which is when I sold that house. The third which was sealed once at the end of it's first year is starting to crumble after 20 years. I attribute the difference to the fact that the third driveway is shaded by trees in the summer and sees very little sun. The first driveway had significant slope and never held water, the last is nearly level and water stays for much longer.

And the worst enemy of asphalt is gas or oil, something that no sealer I know of offers significant protection from. I've been told by "experts" that periodic "sealing" of asphalt will make it look new longer but it won't extend it's useful life even in the rough winters here in MN.

I do agree that packing all cracks with a rubberized filler ought to help reduce the freeze/thaw cycle damage but you've got to do this to virtually every tiny crack you can see, not just the big ones. But if you can afford and have room for a 2 inch asphalt cap on your existing driveway it will extend the life enough to be worth the cost, assuming the existing base is sufficient.
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Interesting take on this question. I'm getting a binding course of asphalt installed for my new driveway, with the finish course of 1 1/2" of asphalt installed next summer. The company that is doing this said never to sealcoat the driveway, assuming you have a good asphalt job. You do need to repair cracks, etc., but when you seal it, the sand and petrolium in the sealcoat hurt hardwood and linoleum floors, and thus they aren't recommended.
 
lancefisher said:
I disagree on all counts. I've gone through 3 asphalt driveways so far. The first one was sealed annually and crumbling after 6 years. The second which was never resealed looked better than the first at 6 years which is when I sold that house. The third which was sealed once at the end of it's first year is starting to crumble after 20 years. I attribute the difference to the fact that the third driveway is shaded by trees in the summer and sees very little sun. The first driveway had significant slope and never held water, the last is nearly level and water stays for much longer.

And the worst enemy of asphalt is gas or oil, something that no sealer I know of offers significant protection from. I've been told by "experts" that periodic "sealing" of asphalt will make it look new longer but it won't extend it's useful life even in the rough winters here in MN.

I do agree that packing all cracks with a rubberized filler ought to help reduce the freeze/thaw cycle damage but you've got to do this to virtually every tiny crack you can see, not just the big ones. But if you can afford and have room for a 2 inch asphalt cap on your existing driveway it will extend the life enough to be worth the cost, assuming the existing base is sufficient.
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N-i-i-i-c-e since I have two quarts of Ford Mercon tranny fluid in one corner and lotsa oil spots in other places. The guy said he'd wash those off and to use mild detergent.

It's all moot since he won't return my phone calls. I figger I have one warm week left.
 
lancefisher said:
I disagree on all counts. I've gone through 3 asphalt driveways so far. The first one was sealed annually and crumbling after 6 years. The second which was never resealed looked better than the first at 6 years which is when I sold that house. The third which was sealed once at the end of it's first year is starting to crumble after 20 years. I attribute the difference to the fact that the third driveway is shaded by trees in the summer and sees very little sun. The first driveway had significant slope and never held water, the last is nearly level and water stays for much longer.
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Feel free to disagree, but you'd also be disagreeing with engineers that design ACC pavements.

Highway engineers recognize the importance of good drainage in the design, construction and maintenance of any pavement. Probably no other single factor plays such an important role in determining the ability of a pavement to provide a trouble-free service throughout long periods of time.

http://www.apai.net/apai2003/designguide_0605/designguide/Chapter_3B.pdf

http://www.iowasudas.org

Here's a good source for diagnosing ACC pavement failure causes:

http://www.apai.net/apai2003/designguide_0605/designguide/Appendix_A-B.pdf


Trapper John
 
mikea said:
N-i-i-i-c-e since I have two quarts of Ford Mercon tranny fluid in one corner and lotsa oil spots in other places. The guy said he'd wash those off and to use mild detergent.

It's all moot since he won't return my phone calls. I figger I have one warm week left.
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Just do the work yourself Mike. I have resealed mine and it can be done in a day. For perspective, mine requires about 50 gallons to seal so plan your time accordingly.
 
rubber314chicken said:
Don't make fun of my lack of typing skills.
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Respect your elders when they point out things you ought to improve, and furthermore are just giving you a hard time (such things are acceptable in society).

Proofread, son.
 
kevin47881 said:
Just do the work yourself Mike. I have resealed mine and it can be done in a day. For perspective, mine requires about 50 gallons to seal so plan your time accordingly.
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I don't think I can. I already saw that the sealer and tools alone is chump change - like $40 - and I think one neighbor offered to help.

Being that I'm fairly sure it hasn't been done 5 years or more, I think I'd be OK until Spring.
 
Trapper John said:
Feel free to disagree, but you'd also be disagreeing with engineers that design ACC pavements.

Highway engineers recognize the importance of good drainage in the design, construction and maintenance of any pavement. Probably no other single factor plays such an important role in determining the ability of a pavement to provide a trouble-free service throughout long periods of time.

http://www.apai.net/apai2003/designguide_0605/designguide/Chapter_3B.pdf

http://www.iowasudas.org

Here's a good source for diagnosing ACC pavement failure causes:

http://www.apai.net/apai2003/designguide_0605/designguide/Appendix_A-B.pdf


Trapper John
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I do believe that standing water is bad, my point was that petrochemical spills are worse, but that's much more likely on a driveway than a road.
 
Here in NY, I get the driveway sealed annually, in the Spring. It looks good all summer and holds up well through winters that can be pretty tough.

I can't think of any reason why sealing would shorten the life of a driveway. Some say it won't extend the life of the driveway but it sure does look better. Since driveways are such a large feature, I prefer it to look reasonably good and sealing takes care of that. I also think that it does, in fact, extend the life of a driveway but I can't prove that with facts.

If it were me, I'd seal it now before winter. Get the cracks filled and then have them seal it. It's pretty inexpensive protection, compared to the cost of digging up a driveway and putting a new one down.
 
qbynewbie said:
Here in NY, I get the driveway sealed annually, in the Spring. It looks good all summer and holds up well through winters that can be pretty tough.

I can't think of any reason why sealing would shorten the life of a driveway. Some say it won't extend the life of the driveway but it sure does look better. Since driveways are such a large feature, I prefer it to look reasonably good and sealing takes care of that. I also think that it does, in fact, extend the life of a driveway but I can't prove that with facts.
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I've been told by more than one asphalt contractor that "sealing" does not extend the life but it definitely makes the driveway look better. If you like that look sealing is the way to go. I don't believe that it does any harm to the driveway either.
 
Or rip it out and put in pavers. That's on my long-term project list....
 
lancefisher said:
I do believe that standing water is bad, my point was that petrochemical spills are worse, but that's much more likely on a driveway than a road.
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Agreed that there's not much you can do about persistent spills, they will soften the asphalt, and there's no fix for that. The good news is newer cars leak much less than the old ones. Every Honda/Acura product we've ever owned hasn't leaked a drop. Even our Oldsmobile is leak-free (I probably just jinxed myself with that!), which is the only GM car we've ever had that wasn't a significant leaker.

Trapper John
 
Mr. Superseal finally called me. He sealed the driveway in like 20 minutes.


I think he also smashed my mailbox. Kinna win.
 
mikea said:
N-i-i-i-c-e since I have two quarts of Ford Mercon tranny fluid in one corner and lotsa oil spots in other places. The guy said he'd wash those off and to use mild detergent.

It's all moot since he won't return my phone calls. I figger I have one warm week left.
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mikea said:
Mr. Superseal finally called me. He sealed the driveway in like 20 minutes.


I think he also smashed my mailbox. Kinna win.
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Did I mention that I kinna win?

I had to drive all 3 cars to the street to make room for the guys. So last night, after giving it more than 24 hours to cure, I drove them back up. The Sable with the leaky/dry tranny couldn't get up the drive. A neighbor helped me push it as much as we could to get it off the street. I thought enough to put a flattened corrugated cardboard box under the car to catch any drips.

This morning I bought a couple of quarts of ATF and made very sure I could see and get the funnel in just right to get it in clean, and I look under to see the stuff is just pouring out :mad3::mad3: I made a mad dash to drive the car off but in the end as a neighbor drove by blocking me, I just drove up and off the blacktop and parked it. Somehow, the mat moved with it.

There were a few puddles on the new driveway. I got my degreaser spray and hosed and broomed it down as best i could. Now I gotta drive the car to the mechanic so I may be in for another round. :mad3::mad3:
 
mikea said:
Did I mention that I kinna win?

I had to drive all 3 cars to the street to make room for the guys. So last night, after giving it more than 24 hours to cure, I drove them back up. The Sable with the leaky/dry tranny couldn't get up the drive. A neighbor helped me push it as much as we could to get it off the street. I thought enough to put a flattened corrugated cardboard box under the car to catch any drips.

This morning I bought a couple of quarts of ATF and made very sure I could see and get the funnel in just right to get it in clean, and I look under to see the stuff is just pouring out :mad3::mad3: I made a mad dash to drive the car off but in the end as a neighbor drove by blocking me, I just drove up and off the blacktop and parked it. Somehow, the mat moved with it.

There were a few puddles on the new driveway. I got my degreaser spray and hosed and broomed it down as best i could. Now I gotta drive the car to the mechanic so I may be in for another round. :mad3::mad3:
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That reminds me the Jeep needs to get hte leak in the rear differential fixes. It is dripping a lot. That and pappy has to get his turn signals and horn fixed. SIGH! Cars 'is worser' than planes sometimes! ;)
 
JEEP - Just Empty Every Pocket

Oh, and my daily driver is a 1999 Wrangler with over 140,000 miles on the clock. Runs great, just have to maintain them.
 
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