Sealcoating Your Driveway - Tips and Benefits
Posted on Fri, Jun 03, 2011
With warmer weather comes maintenance and repairs to parking lots and driveways. Sealcoating your parking lot or driveway is an easy way to extend the life of the asphalt and improve the curb appeal of your property - saving you money in the long run.
A properly installed, quality sealcoat product will protect the asphalt from fuel, oil, weather and traffic wear. If sealcoating is avoided, cracks can start forming in the asphalt, which then leads to potholes.
A crack sealer should be applied to cracks before sealcoating to prevent them from growing and further damaging your asphalt parking lot or driveway. Asphalt parking lots and driveways should be seal coated every 2-3 years. Cracks should be filled and repaired every year.
Sealcoating a commercial parking lot should be done by paving and sealcoating professionals, but for those do-it-yourselfers who want to sealcoat their driveway, the process can be summed up in these steps:
- Patch large cracks larger than 1/4 inch wide
- Be sure it is above 50 degrees Fahrenheit and rain isn't expected for a day or two
- Clean your driveway with a push broom - spray dust away with water
- Clean oil spots with a commercial detergent - spray clean with water
- Let your driveway dry for an hour before spreading sealcoating
- Mix sealcoating thoroughly
- Pour and spread the sealant - spreading a 20 square foot section at a time with overlapping strokes. Be sure to spread a thin coat so it drys effectively
- Stay off your driveway for 24-48 hours
If you're unsure if your driveway or parking lot needs to be sealcoated, or if doing-it-yourself isn't for you, contact Wolf Paving for an evaluation and a free quote. We'd be happy to help you with any of your paving or maintenance needs.
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Wolf Paving, an asphalt manufacturer and asphalt paving contractor has been proudly serving the greater Milwaukee and Madison area since 1941.
