If you have an asphalt driveway, a driveway sealer is something you should be very familiar with. It will prolong the life of your driveway and make it look better. To help you understand why a driveway sealer is so important, let’s discuss what it is.
Once your driveway is laid and cured, a driveway sealer should be applied on top of that. It is made up of a mixture of coal and tar and acts as a barrier that prevents water, oils, the sun, salt, chemicals and other debris from seeping into your asphalt and weakening it. Asphalt is mostly made up of rock and sand, with a small percentage of tar and oil to keep it together. This tar and oil mixture is called binder, and maintaining the binder is essential to maintaining the life of your asphalt surface. As the rain, sun, and oils seep into the asphalt, it degrades the binder, and over time, will weaken the asphalt and make it brittle.
A driveway sealer should be applied every 1-4 years, depending on various factors. If you live in a climate with extreme weather changes with freeze / thaw cycles, that will cause more wear and damage on your surface, and you might have to have a sealer applied more frequently. You’ll also need to consider how heavily the driveway is used– heavier use will need more frequent sealing. The age and condition of the driveway are also factors. Newer driveways probably don’t have as much damage as one that has been in use for 20 years.
An asphalt driveway can last anywhere from 12-35 years, depending on how it is maintained. If a driveway sealer is applied on a regular basis, it can double the life of your driveway. Also, a driveway sealer is far less expensive to apply when compared to the cost of having an entirely new driveway installed. Give us a call today at AAA Top Quality Asphalt, and we’ll set up a time to get your driveway sealer applied.