Asphalt driveway question

[Shopdog]

This is our first home and we have an asphalt driveway, to me it looks OK, but does seem to have lost its sheen over the past two years. I see driveway coating at the big box stores. So my question is:

When do I need to retop the drive Why would I have to do this What is the best way to do this

Thanks for any answers

Searcher

[hallerb]

I do mine about every 2 years. its about 20 years old and still looks good.my old next door neighbors still pretty good and its over 50 years old.....

I sweep. scrub with detergent and broom after moistening with water. let dry like overnite, sweep lightly or run vacuumn over entire area again then mix coating well and dump and brush in. dont worry too much just cover well in warm weather and let dry for a couple days before driving on it. if weather threatens put it off for later. wear old clothes and shoes they will get yuckied up. easiest to toss them

its not rocket science but boy does my house shine when redone.... looks like a new driveway. you can use the crack filler type if the condition is poor or a anti skid type if its a slope or your driveway is slippery.

if its never been sealed before the first time will take a lot more material it absorbs into the surface

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Between never and every year.

So it looks as spiffy as your neighbor's driveway

Hire someone.

Seriously, if you have any cracks. fill them in so water and freezing don't do further damage. Aside from that, I've never found a good reason to spend the money and sweat in the hot sun coating a driveway. Mine is still in good condition after 29 years.

[Shopdog]

Thanks, Looks like I will be getting good weather for the next few days. I do have a few small cracks and the drive IS on a slight slope, so your ideas will work for me. Antiskid is definately in the program, I never realized that blacktop was so slick when wet until we got it.

Thanks again

Search

[Frank]

I coat mine every few years. If you want to save sweat equity, buy the more expensive coatings that do not require mixing which takes a lot of effort.

[MarkL]

I found that I could hire someone cheaper than I could buy the materials. They come with a tank truck that drives down the driveway spraying the sealer on and a couple guys walk behind it. They were gone in 30 minutes. They also sand the larger cracks.

[Shopdog]

I have read about those guys, what I have heard is that the "spray" they use (in some cases) is nothing more then oil and tar. Having it done that way just makes you have to do it again the next year. Now, I know this IS NOT in all cases, but I being the handy type want to do it myself anyway.

Have you ever tried using the HD website, I typed in Driveway sealer / Driveway coating etc and what comes up say "your search turned up no results" That is the worst web design I have ever been too

Search

[Nate Nagel]

Heh, oddly enough I was just there a few minutes ago looking for the same stuff. I'm about to try to patch/seal my own driveway, to stave off the inevitable repaving (it's at least 20 years old at a minimum, but in surprisingly OK shape except for two bad areas.) I share your opinion of the web site; I find it worthless (and I don't particularly like the store either, but it's close by.)

So....

anyone got any opinions on the various products available? What does HD sell, anyway? It appears that Lowe's sells "Black Jack" brand products, how does that stack up against whatever it is that HD sells? I've found a couple favorable mentions of a "Henry" brand sealer online but don't see anywhere to buy it?

thanks,

nate

[<h>]

Really? Wow. I hope you didn&#39;t get taken by "travelers" painting driveways (a la "The Riches"). Around here, the lowest estimate I could get was $900 for my sealing driveway, and the materials only cost me $150. It took me nearly 2 days to do it (wide, long driveway), but I was getting MUCH faster by the end, both at mixing up the mess and applying it. I&#39;m sure I can do it in one day next time. That didn&#39;t include the time spent patching the cracks the previous week, but that only took about an hour.

[mm]

It&#39;s quite unbelievable how bad it is. I wouldn&#39;t know how to write a search program as bad as theirs is. Have to go to a special school.

Lowe&#39;s is bad too. Maybe it&#39;s a competition.