In this blog, I'd like to talk about the process of asphalt sealing and how it affects your asphalt. Sealing your asphalt keeps it flexible so it doesn't crack as easy during the freeze and thaw here in the Pacific Northwest. When asphalt is left unsealed, the oils leave the asphalt which makes it brittle and cracks a lot easier. Of course you have the "new look" too... its nice to see a new looking driveway.
Now, I want to talk about what you can expect from a sealed driveway and how log it lasts. The more water you have in a sealcoat the less sealcoat you have on your driveway. All quality sealcoat will have aggregates in the sealer (sand and clay) to protect the oil in the sealcoat. If just oil is put down ,the life of the sealer is greatly reduced. I have seen parking lots where oil was put down and 1 month latter its gone. At the end of the day,it is important to have a lot of clay and sand if you want a long lasting sealcoat.
Lets talk about scuffing. This is the one thing customers do not expect...when tires are turned in one spot they leave marks...or if a tandem axel trailer turns, it scuffs it as well. The good news is, after one year the curing process is complete and the scuffing will not harm your sealed asphalt and your low spots in the asphalt are still protected from water penetrating the asphalt.