Asphault Driveway

[Even Stephen]

I live in NE Ohio and had an asphalt Drive way put in four years past and had it re-sealed on the third year. How often should I re-seal this driveway?

[Al Bundy]

"Even Stephen" wrote in news:xs%Fi.534416$ [e-mail]:

I lived in the northeast 30 min from Canada. Lotsa salt gets dragged in the driveway. I did it anually. Probably overkill but no cracks for the 15yrs I had it.

Had a septic tank there. Pumped it every 3 yrs. Probably overkill. That what father-in-law said, "Nahhh, I haven't had mine pumped in 8 yrs." Obviously I'm mentioning this because I go by there one day and he is in mud boots in the yard with buds. Mud boots work on shit too. They pulled cover. A rubber (sonny boy lives in basement) with trapped air pops up. I almost pissed my pants laughing.

[Joseph Meehan]

Reseal it as often as you like. Chances are you don't need to do it at all. For the most part that stuff is just a thin paint to make it look black. There are some good materials out there for really weathered stuff, but that is expensive. You really should not need it on a three year old drive, other than to make the drive black again.

[Even Stephen]

...great story! The company that did my drive thought every 3 years was probably best and I wanted to do it every two. I think every two is probably what I will continuer to do. Thanks!

[Bob M.]

Don't bother doing it at all. It's nothing more than a coating to make it look nice. My parents have a blacktop driveway that was put in back in

1980. Never has been coated, driveway is still fine.

The stuff is a complete waste of money and time.

[hallerb]

my 20 year asphalt driveway would be long gone if it werent for my sealing it. My old next door neighbors driveway is over 50 years old sealed regurally.

This stuff really works!

[IGot2P]

My long circle asphalt driveway is over 10 years old, never been sealed, and still in great shape. If I ever do seal it it will be for cosmetic purposes only because that is all that I think the thin stuff is good for. On the other hand, if you want to basically "paint" your driveway, go for it.

[Joseph Meehan]

How do you know it would not have lasted just as long without the sealer?

[Joseph Meehan]

I should have added that the real reason one drive last a long time and another does not is the quality of the base, the materials used and the work done.

[EXT]

Depends on what you use. Some is nothing more than paint, especially if the container says to use a paint roller to spread it. Other types are a liquid asphalt and you spread it with a squeegee so that it fills all fine cracks and pores that have developed. In a northern climate you want to keep water out of the fine cracks and pores because it will freeze and open them up wider, destroying the pavement. In these cases, a good coat of sealer will help a driveway/parking lot last longer if it is applied before winter on pavement that is starting to form fine surface cracks.

[Colbyt]

Never reseal until it "whites out". The topping coat is mostly for looks but does provide a "wear layer" when the better grades of coatings are used.

Filling any cracks is a very important step in any cold weather areas. The freezing water in those crack if they aren't sealed will make them larger.

[hallerb]

yeah thats why i know my driveway over 20 years old would be gone.

the surface has cracking all over the sealer keeps water from getting in cracks and demolishing the surface.

[mm]

And I guess that is why we need that patch that I ask about in the next thread. It's the lowest part of the n'hood, and gets melting water when snow or ice melts, then ice what it freezes each night. We didn't have that many cracks, but the big crack was right in the middle where the water runs.