Is it worth to seal the asphalt driveway?

[Dmitry]

I'm about to seal my 350 feet , 8 feet wide driveway. It has some cracks that I'm gonna seal first, but its in OK condition. It a large job however .

My brother-in law laughs at me saying that this is just a trick for stupid homeowners and sealant is not worth the price and labor, What is you take on it?

 

[Highbeam]

We seal real streets for a reason. If water can get into the asphalt and into the subgrade it will cause rapid deterioration of the road. We add crushed rock to the slurry oil and then another layer of slurry to cover the rock (chip seal with slurry coat). Adds a lot of life to the road. Biggest reason is keeping water out.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

6 years ago I spent 2x the cost of regular sealer on epoxy. It's still in great shape.

My thought is it makes the driveway blacker. black absorbs more heat. Heat melts ice. It also fills in all the pits and bumps, making it easier to shovel and for water to drain. It may not be necessary, but it saves me time!

 

[Lake Girl]

Freeze/thaw cycle which Highbeam eluded to ... water gets into those cracks and freezes. As that water expands as it freezes, if creates more damage. After spending the money on the asphalt driveway, I would be looking to extend it's life cycle with the sealer...

 

[Dmitry]

Yeah, seems like I need to do it. It's just a huge job with preparation and sealing existing cracks. Sealer alone is going to cost about $400 give or take. Well..

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Look into the epoxies. The cheaper sealers have to be redone every year.

 

[Ashful]

I do mine every 3rd year, as did the prior owner. At exactly 30 years old, it's in much better condition than the neighbors' much younger driveways. Mine is 450 lineal feet with two parking areas totaling 6000 sq ft, so no way am I doing it myself. Quotes to have it done by pros have varied $650 - $1250, with no correlation between price and quality (in fact, it seems to be inversely proportional, based on my limited experience).


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[Ashful]

Look into the epoxies. The cheaper sealers have to be redone every year.

Not true. If you did it every year, you'd have a serious build-up problem after a decade or more. Most recommend every 2 - 5 years, depending on climate.


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[Highbeam]

Freeze/thaw cycle which Highbeam eluded to ... water gets into those cracks and freezes. As that water expands as it freezes, if creates more damage. After spending the money on the asphalt driveway, I would be looking to extend it's life cycle with the sealer...

Yes, freeze thaw but also stability of the subgrade. Overly wet subgrade can move and pump. Asphalt is a flexible pavement so it will also move and pump when the subgrade fails. You want to keep it watertight to prevent the flexing which will lead to more cracks and ruts then alligatoring and finally failure.

Be sure to clean out cracks before filling with your product. Dirt and weeds will prevent the seal.

 

[Lake Girl]

Look into the epoxies. The cheaper sealers have to be redone every year.

Did you do the epoxy coat yourself? How difficult?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Yes. It was the same as putting on sealer.

 

[CheapBassTurd]

+1 to LakeGirl

Blast the cracks with a hose or compressed air so the sealer can bond to something.

Scroll on. lol

 

[lml999]

Get a couple of quotes from local companies to do the job. In the Boston area, having it done isn't significantly more expensive than buying the sealer and tools... and it's a lot less work.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Same here. I've wondered if the quality of the sealer is the same.

 

[Highbeam]

Sounds like insulation. You can often have it installed cheaper than you can buy the materials.