7 Reasons to Sealcoat Your Driveway or Parking Lot

Are you looking to maintain a driveway, parking lot, or other asphalt paved surface? Then seal coating is the best solution. Is asphalt sealcoating really necessary?

Yes! Is it something you can skip to save costs? No! Here are seven reasons to seal coat your driveway or parking lot.

1. Seal Coating Extends Pavement Life
Seal coating adds a protective layer over your driveway or parking lot. It's a shell that helps to protect it from the elements. This is particularly important as we edge closer to the winter months that bring cold temperatures, precipitation and frost. Since sealcoating protects you against all the other problems listed below, it will inevitably extend the life of your pavement.

2. Seal Coating Helps Prevent High Repair Costs
Your parking lot or driveway is directly exposed to the elements if it's not seal coated. This causes damage such as cracks and potholes over time. It's expensive to repair, and if the damage isn't contained, you may need a whole new driveway or parking lot sooner than expected. How do you avoid these expensive costs? With seal coating.

3. Seal Coating Protects Against Water and the Freeze-Thaw Cycle
An unprotected driveway or unsealed parking lot is vulnerable to the elements, in particular water damage. In the winter, this problem is made worse when water can seep into small cracks and freeze. Frozen water expands, and this causes larger cracks and other forms of damage. Seal coating helps to prevent this damage because it seals in the small cracks and helps to keep water out.

4. Seal Coating Blocks the Drying Effects of the Sun
The sun can also damage your driveway or parking lot, and it is a threat year-round, not just in the summer months. Just like dermatologists recommend wearing sunscreen even in the winter, seal coating fills surface voids and protects your asphalt surfaces from the sun all year long.

5. Seal Coating Prevents Damage from Auto Fluids
Asphalt is a petroleum product, and when auto fluids such as oil and gas fall on the surface it can dissolve into the asphalt. This softens the surface and eventually causes breakage and cracks. Oil and gas will inevitably fall onto your asphalt driveway or parking lot. While you can clean up the spills, it's far easier to protect your parking lot or driveway from this damage with seal coating.

6. Seal Coating Keeps Asphalt Looking New and Beautiful
Seal coating goes on in a dark black color that immediately boosts the appearance of your asphalt and the overall look of your property. It also provides a smooth, non-porous surface that will allow rain to easily wash dirt and debris away. This keeps your parking lot looking clean and beautiful.

7. Fall Is the Best Time to Seal Coat
Seal Coating is not a job that can be tackled in every season. Spring and fall are the best times to sealcoat because it requires temperatures above 50 and a period of 24 hours without heavy rain. Fall is also an ideal time because it allows you to protect your driveway or parking lot just before winter hits.
As this list suggests, Seal Coating is not something you should skip. Although it may save you in the short term, it will inevitably cost you in the long term as your driveway or parking lot begins to crack and deteriorate.

With over 10 years of asphalt sealing and maintenance experience, our driveways last longer than the competitions'. Here's why....

Our Process:

Many companies will simply trim the grass on the sides of your driveway, blow superficial dirt and debris off, and apply sealer to finish the job quickly. Our process is different. Much like painting, the key to effective sealcoating is in the surface preparation! There are many factors that contribute to a poorly sealed driveway, and just because your driveway has a fresh coat of jet black sealer does not mean it was sealed properly. On average, we spend 2-3 times longer than the competition preparing the surface of your driveway. In short... you save money!

  • Trim / cut back Grass at the sides of the driveway to expose all asphalt
  • Use high powered rotary brooms to loosen all stuck on dirt and debris
  • Wire broom any oil stains and/or bird droppings
  • Thoroughly blow the driveway clean using multiple high powered blowers
  • Treat all oil stains and bird droppings with a spot primer which dilutes, seals and prepares the area for sealer. This ensures the sealer will bond properly to the driveway. skipping this step will cause the sealer to not adhere to the driveway surface and stains to bleed through
  • Fill all cracks with hot crack filler. This is a rubberized crack filler heated to 400 degrees! We fix the problem, instead of just covering it up!
  • Repair any potholes, sunken areas, and ends of driveways (skirts) that have existing snow plow damage or uneven surfaces caused by settling using DOT recycled asphalt.
  • Apply sealer to driveway or parking lot using brushes, not squeegees. Just like painting, sprayers and squeegees do not work the sealer into grooves and cracks. We are sure to brush every driveway to be sure you have a thorough even coat leaving your driveway looking brand new and enhancing your home's beauty