Driveway Sealers: How to Seal an Asphalt Driveway

It is important to make sure that your asphalt driveway is properly sealed if it is going to remain in good condition. A driveway that is not sealed will allow water to get into the cracks and settle at the base of the driveway, when this happens you can almost guarantee that you will start to see potholes on your driveway. In addition if you live in an area where the temperature falls below freezing you can expect the water in the cracks to turn to ice and do considerable damage.

The good news is that it is not all that difficult to seal an asphalt driveway so there is no reason not to do it. Ideally it should be done every couple of years.

Sealing an Asphalt Driveway

The first thing that you have to do is to make sure that your driveway is ready to be sealed. This is particularly important if you have a new driveway. The asphalt needs at least a month to cure properly so don't rush into this.

One of the reasons that you likely want to seal your driveway is that there are cracks, these will need to be repaired before you apply the sealer. This can be easily done with a patching compound, just follow the instructions that come with it.

If you have an older driveway the preparation is mainly about making sure that it is clean. If there are any oil stains you will want to remove them, there are detergents to do this. You will then want to sweep the driveway and then use a hose to remove any dirt that you missed with the broom. The best option is to use a pressure washer but if you don't have one this is not a big deal. Make sure the driveway is dry before you start applying the sealer.

Applying Driveway Sealer

This is fairly straightforward and is largely just a matter of following the instructions. The big thing is to make sure that the sealer is well mixed.

Other than this it is simply a matter of pouring it on the driveway and spreading it with a brush. It is best to work in small areas rather than trying to do the whole driveway at one time. The only thing that you have to be careful of is that you don't put the sealer on too thick, again follow the instructions on the tub.

Other than this all you have to worry about is making sure that nobody goes on the driveway for the 24 hours that the sealer requires to dry.