Having a driveway and, more specifically, an asphalt driveway is what suits many people who want to make save money and still have a nice and smooth, and neat appearance on their exterior.
The asphalt driveway is another outstanding choice for the driveways.
We know that asphalt has countless advantages over the concrete driveway, including cost-effectiveness, heat-resistant properties, eco-friendly benefits, and more.
Asphalt even has a lesser curing time than concrete, and when you ask about the strength, it’s no less! So an asphalt driveway is a considerable choice, a better one, I’d say!
Sealing asphalt driveway pros and cons
Just the asphalt surface is insufficient
We also know that asphalt itself doesn’t complete the requirements of making an entire fledge driveway because asphalt alone cannot cater to the needs of a strong driveway.
So, it needs a protective barrier in the form of a seal coating covering up the crevices and air pockets left on the surface.
Sealing an asphalt driveway can make it relatively easy for you to have some relaxed years without the worry of restoring the glory of your driveway again and again.
I have devised, with significant research, the sealing asphalt driveway pros and cons.
Pros of asphalt driveway sealing
The benefits or pros of sealing asphalt driveways are quite a lot which are:
No damages for a long time
The best thing a seal coating can do is that it protects your driveway from all the worst weather elements, including extreme hot and cold temperatures.
The cracks formed in the asphalt driveway are filled with sealing material that prevents these cracks and openings from going any further.
The asphalt driveway sealing can also stop erosion and help keep the driveway nice and sturdy.
Asphalt itself absorbs heat, but coating it will safeguard the driveway from extreme heat conditions when direct contact from the sun and U.V rays is prolonged.
I’m sure of the storm and snow, and even if it rains cats and dogs, that won’t hurt your seal-coated driveway.
And the coating liquid is made of such material that has hydrophobic interaction within, so this greatly helps to produce a water-resistant layer over the driveway so that it’s protected from rains and hails.
Cover-up for the lousy products used in the driveway
You know, during the making or building of the driveway, when substandard products are used, they leave out gaps and air pockets which, with time turn into potholes.
And believe me, the potholes will not be a good sign as they will not only ruin the appearance of the driveway but also are lethargic to your vehicles as they cause severe damage.
Sealing the driveway will fill the holes and remove the air bubbles, inhibiting the impairment and damage rate.
The Asphalt Sealcoating will help you out with the prevention of extreme damage by patching potholes that will cost you a fortune.
And relaxes you for at least 2-3 years by reducing the rate of detriment and ruining.
Seal coating today keeps the moisture away
Surprisingly, the sealed driveway had some super moisture run-off properties due to its water-resistant feature.
The seal coat will form a surface that will efficiently remove the moisture from it, in turn protecting the driveway from constant exposure to rain.
A sealed asphalt driveway has self-healing properties as well. This is kind of interesting, isn’t it?
Let me tell you how. The seal coat material has the property to absorb heat and expand.
When contact with the sun is prolonged, the seal coat absorbs heat and melts.
The melting material expands, filling up the small cracks and small gaps, and also heals what had been distorted and deformed.
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The “Natural” benefits
The best thing about sealing driveway is that it is “nature friendly” and can be recycled. Every year, nearly 100 million tons of asphalt products are recycled, which is mind-blowing.
The asphalt used in the making of the driveway might be new or is being recycled and reused. This won’t even alter its quality of it.
The asphalt sealant will keep the asphalt protected to be recycled when needed.
According to the estimation, each year, the asphalt industry saves about 2 billion dollars which is a considerable saving. This, in turn, will definitely help you save money as well.
That’s why we prefer asphalt driveways over concrete ones because they are cost-effective and prove to be equally beneficial as concrete.
No sweat in maintenance
The maintenance task of the asphalt driveways is another big deal and a rather advantageous one. Because once you’ve built the driveway, it stays intact for about 2-3 years.
Once the coating of the seal is done, the asphalt driveway will then stay strong for a long time.
About the cleaning, you don’t have to worry about that as well.
Just the broom can swipe clean your driveway, and if you want to wash it, then no worries, you can wash it carefree because of its water-resistant property. So break no sweat!
Sunscreen to your driveway
The sun’s UV rays are as much as defective to your driveway as they are to your skin.
There occurs oxidation in the asphalt if it is directly exposed to the sun, which deteriorates the driveway.
The faded asphalt is more prone to complete destruction and ruining of the driveway.
However, if you seal asphalt, then this produces a protective layer or a shield that stops the rapid aging and deterioration of your driveway.
It’s worth the cost
We all know that asphalt is quite an expensive material and can cost you pretty much a lot. This is due to the varying prices of the crude oils that are used in the process.
So, asphalt seal-coating is done to prevent the expenditure of applying a whole new feed of asphalt for your driveway.
It is way more cost-effective as you will see that the asphalt driveway sealing will repair the damages that are present in your driveway.
Just seal coating your asphalt driveway will be efficient in saving you dollars that would have been wasted in the repairing only if there isn’t too much damage.
It’s reliable; you know
When it comes to stress and tension, your asphalt alone is unable to handle it, but with the seal coating, it can bear loads of traffic and still not wear and tear and is reliable.
Moreover, the coating of the seal is also reliable in case of extreme heat as it will be more flexible and prevent the formation of small cracks
This way, your asphalt driveway will stay intact for a long time when it’s protected and sealed driveway.
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It comes with good looks
Only the asphalt driveway appears to be grey if you see it and gives a bit of a dull, untidy, and improper look.
The material used for sealing asphalt is of a darker shade which makes the outlook of your house more decent and elegant.
The sealing gives out a smoother appearance to your driveway. It gets a good and neat, shiny appearance and increases the curb appeal of your house.
The market value increases when you have excellent physical apparel for your house.
DIY(Do It Yourself)
The excellent part about asphalt seal coating is that you can seal it yourself. Yes, I know that all the job is out of your bounds, but there are many tasks while sealing the asphalt driveway.
A contractor should prepare the starting seal coat as he has better knowledge about the ratio of materials added.
The rest of the small sealing jobs can be done by yourself. There are ready-made materials present in many stores. They also sell the coating that you need for the easy maintenance of sealing an asphalt driveway.
These are some of the pros of sealing an asphalt driveway.
Cons of sealing an asphalt driveway
Well, to be honest, if one thing has hundreds of advantages, it doesn’t mean it won’t have any flaws.
Like every book has 2 covers, everything has 2 sides and 2 aspects. So, sealing your asphalt driveway also comes with some cons.
You better know what you’re dealing with!
Renewing after every 2 years
The renewal of asphalt driveways is done every 2-3 years, which is not a great thing to consider.
This is undoubtedly an expensive job that requires you to spend dollar bills.
Although the expense, if we calculate the net figure, it isn’t much, you will have to remember to keep that expense in your budget.
And yes! one thing to remember is that if you delay the asphalt repairs and renewal of the coat, there will be catastrophic damage.
Fresh asphalt factor
If you have recently added asphalt and just finished making your driveway, you won’t be able to add the sealing coat because it won’t stay.
If, during installing asphalt, you apply the sealing coat, the material will flow away and will just merge into it, and the results won’t be what you’d expect.
So, wait until the asphalt driveway is completely dry, and then you’ll be able to gain the full potential of sealing asphalt driveways.
Heavy on pockets
Having the asphalt driveway sealed will help you in prolonging the protective shield it provides to prevent damage.
But maintaining the seal coating will be a challenging task as it will be both expensive and difficult to maintain.
The cost depends upon per square foot in different areas. And it might cost you up to 160$ for the sealing job only.
And if the maintenance isn’t done, then you’ll have to pay for future repairs as well.
Time-taking process
After working on your asphalt driveway, when you have sealed it, you cannot just start moving your vehicles on it because the seal coating is made up of a liquid material that needs time to set.
This is called the curing time of the seal. Many driveways take almost 24 hours between the application of different layers of the seal coating.
The overall curing process might take up to 6-7 months before making the driveways fully functional.
Also the temperature should also be considered account for.
Because the temperature during the curing of the seal should not exceed 50 degrees; if it does, the results will not be admirable. In fact catastrophic.
Not all cracks are cured
A falsely laid driveway is more prone to all the damages that could possibly occur, causing the driveway to turn into a pitting pool which is disgusting.
The uneven surface after the job is done can be seen sometimes; this occurs due to the wrong or improper mixing of materials or the application of different layers of the seal wasn’t made efficiently.
There are some cracks formed due to this problem which cannot be cured by the sealant.
However, applying the sealant can help prevent these cracks from growing much more quickly.
This tells you that not all cracks are cured, more like “not all wounds are cured.”
Only suitable for specific weathers
When coated by the sealant, the asphalt surface becomes tough and rigid and can tolerate harsh weather conditions.
But in extremely warm weather, for example, a scorching sunny day will make the sealant melt, and it can also damage the tires of the passing vehicles.
Moreover, it would be best if you kept in check the weather forecast in before the sealing project.
The sealant is usually a 3 seasonal product. So, it would be best if you were vigilant while doing the job. Also, you can ass the cold weather formula to your sealant
The cold weather, like snowfall, will significantly and negatively affect the seal coating, so you should never plan to do the sealing after the first snow of the season.
And secondly, you can also get the “all four seasons” sealant for this purpose. That might cost you a bit, but it will get you through all the seasons.
Frequently cleaning exercise
You also have to thoroughly clean your drive paths by pressure washing them. But most driveways get damaged by this method.
You will have to maintain proper exercise when you are doing this sealing job.
And be careful while pressure washing that is done with certain detergents and reagents because this could lead to quick damage and wear and tear of the coat that you applied
When working with the sealant, you should be careful and shouldn’t let any dust or debris get over the sealant because this will affect the quality of your fresh asphalt surface.
Concluding up
Your asphalt driveways should be sealed and adequately coated in order for them to be strong, challenging, and tolerate extreme temperatures.
It should also make your house’s physical appearance pleasant and increase its market value.
Your parking lots, driveways, and garages should have neat and paved surfaces and also should be neat and tidy, and that can only be done when you have your asphalt driveways sealed and coated.
There are pros to it and cons as well, and if you are planning on sealing an driveway, then you should learn the benefits of it and also the flaws so that it becomes easy for you to decide what’s better for you.