Driveway Sealer- Spray vs. Brush On

[NY_Yankees_Fan]

Our asphalt driveway about 3-4 years old needs to be sealed. I have received estimates from several contractors who will spray on the sealer with either water based or oil based sealer. They will give a one year warranty on the work. If I look at Home Depot, driveway sealer in a 5 gallon bucket, I can get up to a 7 year warranty. What do you thing is better? What have you done? The driveway is about 250' long by 12 wide , with a 40’x40’ pad at the top. The cost using Home Depot is about 50% of the contractor doing it. I figure a good days work on my part. I think the spray will give a better looking driveway, but not sure it will last as long. Look forward to your comments. Thanks in advance.

Tom

 

[chim]

At our last property, I went with brush-on "coal tar emulsion" (water based) sealer. Our driveway was maybe 80' long with a 30' X 30' area outside the garage. I forget what the bucket labels said they should cover, but it took at least twice that the first time I sealed it. Something like 13 5-gallon pails. Subsequent sealing took less than what it should have been according to the labels. I think the last time it was 4 buckets. That was my Labor Day project every two years. That house was a bi-level, and we almost always entered via the rear (basement) door. It had a light beige floor tile that required really aggressive cleaning frequently to remove the film we blamed on the sealer.

I used the water-based coating because of its resistance to fuel and oil. The best tool I used for applying the sealer was a cheap push broom. I tried one of those brush on one side / squeegee on the back spreaders but felt the broom worked better. I made a mixing tool from a piece of allthread and a twisted piece of metal - like a propeller to get the thick goop in suspension.

I belonged to a group responsible for the upkeep on some property, and one of the guys contacted a few local firms that did paving to ask their recommendations on sealers. We didn't get the same info from any of them. One thought oil-based was better if we ever planned to add a finish coat on top. Another said not to seal it because the blacktop should "breathe", and so on.

Our current driveway (nearly 300' long plus a large parking area) is about 7 years old and has not been sealed. Lately I've noticed some small cracks that have not yet spread open, but they are there. It was installed over a very hard stone base that was about 5 years old at that time. The paving outfit told us back then it would run around $1,500 to have a finish coat added when the driveway started to look bad. This house has an almost white vinyl floor that is the first thing you walk on upon entering, and has never been a problem to keep clean. We attribute this to not sealing the driveway.......................chim

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Driveway sealers are basicly paint. The function sealers perform is preventing rain/snow water from penetrating the stone, where the original asphalt oil has worn off, and preventing the water from spalling the stone, or displacing it via frost.
Like any paint job, the biggest part of the job is preparation and aplication.
The water based sealer is coal tar emulsion, a mix of coal tar, naptha and WATER and a small amont of what is essentially dishwashing soap, mostly water by volume. Coal tar is the part that does the work, and is also the most expensive component of the sealer.
Most manufacturers make several grades of the emulsion, and the main difference is the percentage of coal tar. Usually store brands contain less coal tar.
Oil based sealers use an asphalt component in place of the coal tar, and a solvent in place of the water.
Spraying versus brushing, I'd go with brushing. It's best to seal a driveway on a cool day in late afternoon so the product has time to penetrate the stone and dry slowly, rather than getting sunbaked to a quick dry.

 

[Kodiak]

Coal tar emulsion has always worked well for me. I prefer a broomed on surface. this helps break all of the litte bubbles that tend to cme up out the asphalt. Otherwise the sealed surface can be very porus. Sprayed on sealers tend to add lots of these little bubbles.

 

[gws]

Oh you fancy folks with them city paved drivways. See all the problems you have to deal with!!!! -

 

[Steven]

This is sold at either lowes or home depot can not remember which one. and is easy to use no mixing

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.gardnerasphalt.com/Gardner-new/DRIVE/dr-nav.htm>http://www.gardnerasphalt.com/Gardner-new/DRIVE/dr-nav.htm</A>

PRO-GEL
ADVANCED NO-STIR DRIVEWAY SEALER

DESCRIPTION: PRO-GEL is the ultimate driveway sealer. The advanced Gel formula enables the product to stay completely mixed in the container and eliminates the need for stirring. No more mess or extra work as this product applies easier, cleaner and faster! Advanced spaceage polymers provide superior durability and lasting protection for your blacktop surface. This product fills cracks up to 1/8” and seals worn surfaces. It restores beauty while protecting and preserving your valuable blacktop pavements. PRO-GEL offers
the longest protective finish and is the best choice for your driveway, guaranteed.


APPLICATION: Temperatures must be at least 65°F and rising, but below 100°F for application. Rinse and clean driveway with a driveway cleaner. Properly treat oil spots with cleaners, or sealer will not adhere and flake off. After driveway is rinsed thoroughly, apply sealer to the damp pavement. A small amount of water separation in the pail is normal. Pour out 1/2 the container and work product across blacktop with brush or squeegee. Complete the entire driveway in one continuous application to prevent “color shading”. Do not over apply, which will result in tracking. Do not apply if rain or cold temperatures are expected within 36 hours.


COVERAGE RATE: Coverage rates vary depending upon the condition of the existing surface. A brush and/or squeegee works best, allowing the sealer to penetrate the driveway surface. Working in a small area at a time apply thin coat, brushing away any excess as you seal. Use a cross pattern of application to insure all voids are filled and sealed. Driveway must cure approx. 2-4 hours for foot traffic and 24-48 hours for vehicle traffic. Humid or cloudy conditions may prolong curing time. Two thin coats are strongly recommended. Thick coats will result in uneven coverage, tracking and drying problems. Apply second coat perpendicular to the first, after the first coat has cured (approx. 3-6 hours). Approximate coverage for driveways in GOOD CONDITION: 400 sq. ft./5 gal. pail; AVERAGE CONDITION: 350 sq. ft./5 gal. pail.

 

[mikim]

<font color=blue>on a cool day in late afternoon</font color=blue>
from Lyle Lovett --- "oh that's right, yer not from Texas" /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
mike

 

[djradz]

That's quite a big drive. Mine is about half that and I generally use about 5 buckets. I pour it on, brush it in and then finish with a squegee. I too think the combination brush squegee that you can buy with the sealer is inadequate. Years ago I bought a medium weight 18" broom and a 20" or so squegee that I use just for this job. I use the water based coal-tar formula. As others have said, preparation is the key. Remove any grass from the edges and power wash or otherwise get all the dirt off the surface. Then pick a cool and preferably cloudy day when no rain is expected. It usually takes me a day of prep and about half a day or so to coat.

 

[gerard]

my two cents - if you're in a climate that regularly gets below freezing - ie freeze/thaw cycles, it's important to seal as that is a mjor reason driveways will crack over time. Also the asphalt in the original blacktop dries out over time and gets brittle, sealer will ****** this. Having done it myself and having had it done this is one of those things that I felt didn't pay to do my self. Figured out I was working for about $5 per hour with what I saved - not worth it. mixing is half the battle and a commercial guy will come along with a 400 gal tank all mixed and apply it by the bucket. That said the first few times I would use a coal tar emulsion until all the voids are full and the surface is really smooth. Then they make a spray on acrylic sealer that requires a commercial application. This is NOT a filler and is pretty thin but it is impervious to gas/oil and will not leave any residue when dry.

 

[Soundguy]

Keep in mind that contractors doing road work use 'prime' machines and always apply by spraying. The oil based sealers are sometimes refered to as tack, and the water based sealers are generally just called prime. Both have a bituminous component, the water based being an asphalt emulsion generally. New asphalt can be laid over either the water based or the oil based coat.

Aside from damage from heavy truck traffic producing ruts, you will probably notice that a road surface that gets moderate usage looks better ( generally ) than a road that gets less usage... seems backwards I know, but is generally true.

As others have pointed out, this product is maily a crack sealer.. but is also a good bonding agent if you ever decide to have another course of asphalt laid ( in fact, if you do, you will have to have a bonding agent, etc.. unless it is a fly-by-night contractor... )

It's your time.. but if the cost of the materials is close to the contractors price.... you can either mop it on for a couple days.. or have them shoot it in 45 minutes...

Soundguy