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Why does my driveway need to be sealcoated?
Left untreated asphalt pavement will deteriorate rapidly. The asphalt binder
that holds the pavement together begins to oxidize and weather soon after
installation. Moisture penetrates the asphalt causing further damage and
deterioration of the pavement.
What benefit does sealcoating provide?
A quality sealcoat replenishes the binder that is lost through aging and
oxidation providing protection against environmental distress. Sealcoating also
provides a fresh beautiful surface that enhances your properties appearance and
value.
What exactly is being applied to my driveway?
We only use Coal Tar Pavement Sealer, which is a high quality product marketed
by SealMaster, a leader in the industry.
What goes into a tank of sealer?
We follow the industry guidelines, which call for the following when properly
preparing a tank of sealer.
For every 100 gallons of sealer we add, 30 gallons of water, 2 gallons of a
Polymer additive and 300 lbs. of sand.
Why do you use a Polymer additive?
It cost us more to use additives but the benefits out way the costs. The Polymer
additive gives flexibility to the sealer and provides greater resistance to
substances that are harmful to your driveway such as road salts, oils, fuels and
grease. It dries with a darker color and assists with uniform application of the
sand slurry.
I have obtained several estimates for having my
driveway sealed and they vary in price by quite a bit, why?
When paying for any home repair/home maintenance service it typically benefits
the consumer to obtain several estimates. The sealcoating industry has
historically been plagued with dishonest so-called contractors who provide
nothing more than an oiled down driveway. These “gypsy sealcoaters” or
"travelers" are often here today gone tomorrow with no accountability for their
actions.
DR Sealcoat is a reputable company that will
be here to serve you for years to come. We are members of your community and
will stand behind our work.
As to pricing a sealcoat job there are many variables that can affect the final
price; the size and condition of the driveway, necessary prep work and location
to name just a few. For the most part, quotes received by reputable sealcoating
contractors should be reasonably similar. If a price sounds to good to be
true……….it probably is.
How can a sealcoater afford to charge a price so
drastically lower than the other quotes I received?
Dishonest sealcoaters have several available options to be able to offer a
seemingly unbeatable bargain price. The industry standard calls for a specific
mixing of ingredients in a tank of sealer. An example would be, 100 gallons of
sealer, 30 gallons of water, 2 gallons of a Polymer additive and 300 lbs. of
sand. This should be sprayed at a coverage rate of 1 gallon for every 100-120
square feet. By adding more water, no additives, no sand and spraying it on
thinner then recommended a dishonest sealcoater can cut costs and stretch a tank
of sealer much further then the rest of us doing it correctly, therefore they
can offer a dramatically lower cost. With this lower cost also comes a poor
quality job that leaves the homeowner no better off. Remember that with all
things in the long run, quality pays.
I had my driveway sealed and the surface is still
rough, shouldn’t the sealer have smoothed it out?
No, sealcoating is not intended to provide asphalt with a smooth surface. A
smooth surface would be a slick surface making it unsafe to walk or drive on
when wet. Sealcoating is only intended to seal the surface to protect the
asphalt from chemicals and the elements.
I have a small driveway, why shouldn’t I just do it
myself?
The average homeowner can sealcoat their own driveway, but often the results are
worse then what they started with. The sealer commonly purchased at the large
home centers can not be applied properly with a brush or squeegee. It will
typically go on too thick requiring many of the large heavy 5 gallon buckets.
Sealer applied too thick will not flex with the driveway and within a short time
start to crack and separate from the asphalt. This thick sealer is also very
slick due to it’s over application, lack of sand or polymer additives. In the
long run it pays to have a professional job done.
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