What To Expect With Driveway Sealcoating When You Want To Restore The Color To Your Driveway
If your asphalt driveway is a few years old and starting to lose its color, it's probably time to have a sealcoat put on. Driveway sealcoating restores the dark color of the asphalt and it also protects your driveway from damage. Here how driveway sealcoating is done.
Start With Edging And Cleaning
The sealcoat is applied all the way to the edges of your driveway, so the workers may edge your driveway to remove grass that's grown close to the asphalt. Any grass or weeds that have grown up through cracks are also removed. Then, the driveway is swept to get rid of dirt, grass clippings, and debris.
Oil stains may be treated with a degreaser to break them down. If your driveway is power washed, the asphalt has to be dry for at least a day before a sealcoat can be applied. You'll also want to make sure your lawn sprinklers are turned off so the driveway doesn't get sprayed the morning before work is to begin.
Fill In Cracks And Holes
The sealcoat isn't thick enough to fill in cracks and holes. Instead, damaged areas of the driveway have to be repaired before the sealcoat is applied. This can be done with crack filler or by pouring hot asphalt patches in holes. If your driveway needs a lot of repairs, the repair work may be done on a different day.
Brush On The Sealcoat
The driveway sealcoating process starts with brushing on the coating along the edges of the driveway. The coating can be spread on with long-handled brushes, or it can be sprayed. If your driveway is small, the workers may apply the sealcoat with brushes. Spraying makes the work go faster on large driveways.
Let The Coating Dry
Waiting for the coating to dry may be the hardest part of having your driveway sealed. You might be able to walk on the driveway in a few hours, but you'll probably need to wait a couple of days before you can drive your car on it.
Driveway sealcoating makes the asphalt a dark black color again, so your driveway doesn't look faded and neglected. The sealcoat should last for a few years, but it depends on how much wear your driveway gets and the weather conditions. The coating protects the asphalt from UV rays and rain so your driveway needs fewer repairs and lasts longer. The coating gradually gets worn away, and when your driveway starts to look faded again, you can have another coating applied for ongoing protection.
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