| Article Index |
|---|
| The Benefits of Driveway Sealing |
| Driveway Sealing |
| Doing it Yourself |
| Going with Professional |
| Beware the Fly-by-Night Sealers |
| Understanding Driveway Sealing |
| All Pages |
"My asphalt driveway is 5 years old, and people have told me that I should have a sealer put on it. Others say that it's the wrong thing to do. What is your opinion about sealing a driveway?"
Margaret Many
Address Withheld
Whether or not you should seal your driveway depends on its condition. If it exhibits extensive cracking, then sealing it will not prolong its life because the sealer will not bridge the cracks. It will only change the appearance of the driveway. On the other hand, as long as the driveway surface is in reasonably good condition, it should be sealed every one to three years, depending on the severity of the climate. Small cracks should be cleaned out with a wire brush or compressed air and then filled with a crack-filling material. Then the driveway should be sealed.
It's best to seal driveways when they are less than a year old, although they can be sealed successfully years later. Bear in mind that a new asphalt driveway is flexible and elastic. It will expand and contract without cracking. As a driveway ages, however, the pavement loses its elasticity and becomes brittle and vulnerable to cracking.
When water enters cracks in asphalt, it works its way down to the base below, reducing the base's compressive strength. This can cause depressions to form and, eventually, potholes. If the water freezes, the ice can increase the size of the cracks.
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