I recently had a new driveway installed. The contractor suggested I have it sealed in October. It has only been less than two months since he did the job. I've been reading on the net that you should wait anywhere between six months and a year before sealing to give the blacktop time to cure. I am afraid that if I don't seal it, water will get into it and freeze and thaw during the winter causing the blacktop to crumble. My question is, has anyone in this situation applied sealer before waiting the appropriate time? Did it cause you any trouble? On the other side of the coin has anyone not sealed a driveway and have it fail?
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Cutinzs,
My grandparents had their driveway done in September and they didn't have to have it sealed until the following year. We are in Michigan. Did this information come from the contractor who did the driveway? Was he going to seal it, was that what he wanted you to do was set an date for him to come back? I would call around to several companies that do this sealing work and ask them if you need to seal a fresh driveway? It couldn't hurt to ask around. On DIY they recommend sealing a driveway every 2 or 3 years.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: woodlore,
Hello again, I found this site which may help. http://landscaping.about.com/od/drivewaysandwalkways1/ht/driveway_sealer.htm It says you must wait a min of 30 days for your new driveway to cure before applying sealcoat. And the sealcoat should be applied within 6 months of a new driveway, and then every one to three years. So if its been over 30 days then you probably should sealcoat it. You can do this your self. Should be easy with a new driveway. Hope this helps.
Thank you for the information. Yes it was the contractor who laid it that wanted to come back and seal it. I know I can do it myself and possibly save a few bucks. The website is the first one that I've seen that says only 30 days. One recommended to wait a year and to be sure I had gone through a full summer of warm weather. I can't find that site now, but this one says at least six months. http://www.latexite.com/faq_general.html#q2 It almost seems there are as many answers as there are questions.
I tried the water test and mine is still beading in a few spots. Again thank you for the quick reply. Anyone else that has gone through this please post your ideas. I'll have to make a decision within the next couple weeks before the weather changes.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Cutinzs,
Originally posted by Rick Marinelli: Contact your local highway department and ask them how long they wait before sealing asphalt roads, and how often they do it.
You may be surprised at the answer.
Around here in NJ I think they never seal the road and just resurface it once the pot holes swallow enough cars to fill the hole.
hey, I'm from Minnesota, it ain't a real pothole until it's filled with bridges.
the professional road work done up here is in two layers... a thick first layer that forms the durable paving base... and a 2 to 4 inch layer that is the wear surface. due to the short season, typically they pave one year and put the wear layer on the next. sealcoats every 4 to 5 years.
driveways aren't built to the same standards. I'd seal before the winter for sure in the same year.
sig: if this is a new economy, how come they still want my old-fashioned money?
swschrad..... I have a friend from Minnesota who claims that they have just two seasons there. Winter, and road construction.
I don't think that you need to rush to seal right away. I live in ct and have our share of all kinds of weather. I sealed my brand new driveway after 3 years. A lot depends on the quality and the thickness of the materials used. How many inches of processed stone did they lay down prior to paving, and how much asphalt did they lay for your final coat. Also asphalt is like paint in a way. There are various grades from the cheap stuff, to the highway construction grade, and many points in between.
You won't know if you can do something if you don't try.
when the asphaltic oils oxidize, its time to seal,,, i wouldn't be thinking less than 1 yr.
dot's, typically, don't seal w/mtls h/o's pick - they may use rejuvenators, slurry-seal, or fog seals but those're much different from the asphalt emulsion you'll use - NEXT year.
I used to own a driveway sealcoating business (for 4 years-- it put me thru college). You should always wait at least 6-12 months before sealing a new driveway. Don't worry cracks will not appear in the first year. You want the driveway to cure and garden. I've seen driveways sealed to early and the asphalt never gets to harden once it has the seal coat on it (as a result it stays soft and causes marks in summer when people turn their car tires while car is at rest.landscape lighting
If the concrete has cured to a psi strength of over 800 PSI it is safe from freezing temperatures. The problem isn't the water it's the salt or other deicer chemicals. These chemicals make the water "wetter" and it can creep into the pores of the concrete farther than unsalted water. Avoid using deicers on the concrete until it's at least 6 months old. The sealer closes the pores of the concrete and if it is new concrete makes a major difference. If you are carrying salt from the roads onto the new concrete the sealer is a very good idea. The sealer on new concrete won't do any damage, it may just not last as long as if it is installed later. The benefits of the sealer are to the new concrete that will have salt or other deicers on its surface.
You may not get full long term protection value from the sealer on new concrete but the protection it provides now will be a definite plus. Reseal next summer for full value.
JdN
Posts: 7546 | Location: Elkader, IA, USA | Registered: Mar 07, 2004
