Beware of Driveway Sealers Ripoffs

Aug 18, 2003 44 Replies

Firstly let me apologize to all of the established genuine driveway sealer experts, this posting isn't criticizing them.


Have you ever noticed that every summer "Driveway Sealer" experts magically appear at the end of your driveway offering to coat your driveway in their "exclusive" product for a bargain price. I shake my head every time I see them in the neighbourhood.



I've never had the pleasure of hearing their pitch. What exactly are they promising and for what price? Isn't it just used motor oil there're spraying?



Randy


All driveway sealing is a scam.

I recoat my driveway every 2 or 3 years for a cost of about $50 per application. After 20 years, my driveway looks quite a bit different than my neighbors who all got driveways put in at the same time as me.

My driveway is smooth, level, and still drains properly. No cracks, and no weeds. My neighbors are already looking at the expense ($3000) of a cap job.

Yeah, driveway sealing is a real ripoff... NOT!!!

The water doesn't stay in the cracks. It sinks into the dirt. I can't imagine a circumstance where it would stay in the crack in fact. Maybe if you built the driveway on a plastic sheet you could pull it off.

So your driveway has never developed a crack that you had to patch before applying the sealer? The sealer is little more than paint and does virtually nothing to stop water from doing freeze damage. If you fill your cracks when they are small there is no need to seal.

Ever notice how roads are never sealed?

It's useful it your driveway has cracks. Small cracks only get bigger, so if you don't want to look close, maybe it's good to seal once in a while. If you don't have any cracks, there's no way sealer can do anything for you.

Bob

Maybe you live in a much warmer climate. Here in the Northeast, EVERYBODY has cracks. The people who discount driveway sealing are usually southern trailer trash, who don't much care what their property looks like anyway.

BB

Beware of the GYPSIES ,,,, they fix it all First your driveway ,,,than your wallet BIG TIME CONS

I take it that according to your the cracks must be bottomless, therefore why seal the cracks if the water just drains to China.

Maybe you should re-write the road commissions handbook on how to slow down the degradation of the roadways in cold climates.

No..... Roads are sealed. The better the seal the greater the life expectancy.

I spoke of plonking you in another thread but thought, what the heck, maybe you were just having a bad morning. After reading more of you it's apparent you probably have a bad life for some reason or another. Your posts are filled with venom and sarcasm. Of what good they are to anyone here is beyond me.

Take a vacation.

You can reply if you think you must to save face but this time the killfile -will- get you.

No, I haven't. Where I live, there are crews all the time that pour black goop on cracks in the road. Things may be different where you live.

steve

That's supposed to be a reasoned reply that proves me to be in error?

I've already showed that you aere an ass. It's your job to try and save your credibility, which is now ZERO.

BB

Patching the occasional crack is not the same as sealing the whole surface. Insurance is one of the many reasons they don't seal the whole thing as it makes it like ice when it's wet.

I guess my climate isn't cold enough here in NJ because they never seal the roads around here.

I dunno man..we got this Yankee that moved in down the street....and its Sanford and Son there....LOL

If you're looking to get it done cheaply you get what you pay for.

Like I said before, I'm not talking about filling cracks (which they don't do with the same product anyway). I'm talking about sealing the entire surface.

I just grin and wave to them (while hosing down my concrete driveway) as they drive by.

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