Driveway Sealcoating & Crack Repair
Driveway Sealcoating
Bedford Sealcoating has been serving the greater Manchester area since 1996. Locally owned and operated.
Crack Repair
Sealing, repairing, or filling cracks is the most important thing you can do to extend the life of your driveway.
FAQ
Check out our frequently asked questions to learn more about driveway sealcoating and crack repair.
Residential Driveway Sealcoating
Why Sealcoat Your Driveway?
Sealer is designed to protect your driveway in the following three ways:
#1 – Slows oxidation of asphalt caused by ultraviolet rays.
As the driveway ages, the asphalt binder becomes harder, and because of this hardening, it becomes more and more brittle. Sealing your driveway regularly will slow this process down and in some cases of newer driveways, it can reverse it slightly.
#2 – Creates a barrier between the driveway and the elements.
Sealcoating protects the surface and fills in surface voids, reducing the pavement’s exposure to oxygen, traffic, and water, thus extending pavement life.
#3 – Resists oil and gas spills.
This is especially important since gasoline and oil soften, or dissolve the binders in the asphalt. Coal tar sealers aren’t soluble in gas or oil so they will help prevent damage caused by leaks or spills. Asphalt emulsion sealers, which are soluble in gas or oil, usually include additives that enable them to resist such leaks, but they are not as effective as coal tar sealants.
How does seal coat protect your pavement?
Sealer is designed to protect your driveway in the following three ways:
#1 – Slows oxidation of asphalt caused by ultraviolet rays.
As the driveway ages, the asphalt binder becomes harder, and because of this hardening, it becomes more and more brittle. Sealing your driveway regularly will slow this process down and in some cases of newer driveways, it can reverse it slightly.
#2 – Creates a barrier between the asphalt and the elements.
Sealcoating protects the surface and fills in surface voids, reducing the pavement’s exposure to oxygen, traffic, and water, thus extending pavement life.
#3 – Resists oil and gas spills
This is especially important since gasoline and oil soften, or dissolve the binders in the asphalt. Coal tar sealers aren’t soluble in gas or oil so they will help prevent damage caused by leaks or spills. Asphalt emulsion sealers, which are soluble in gas or oil, usually include additives that enable them to resist such leaks, but they are not as effective as coal tar sealants.
What types of driveway sealer are there?
Oil-based Sealer
An oil based sealer is a different application entirely to coal tar and asphalt emulsion. An oil based sealer penetrates and helps soften asphalt. A driveway with an oil base sealer application will have a shine to it after application that does not immediately dissipate. Once you use an oil based sealer on your driveway you cannot use either the asphalt emulsion or coal tar sealers for a very long time because of adhesion problems. We have not and do not use oil based sealers.
Asphalt Emulsion
The main ingredient in this sealer is a byproduct of the oil-refining process. Asphalt emulsion is much blacker in color. It is naturally compatible with the asphalt concrete, but by nature, it is less resistant to oil and gasoline spills. It has often been sited as the more environmentally friendly sealer than other types of sealer. Studies have shown that rainwater runoff from driveways and parking lots sealed with coal tar sealers pollute the ground water. In fact, many states have banned the use of coal tar sealers entirely.
Refined Coal Tar Emulsion
Coal tar is a byproduct of the steel manufacturing process. After it has been refined, it is used as a sealer for both pavements and roofs. Coal tar emulsion is naturally resistant to oil and gasoline spills. Coal tar sealers are not as black as the asphalt emulsion sealers, but it’s higher durability more than makes up for the slight difference in color. Coal tar emulsion sealer meets or exceeds all ASTM D5727, RP 355e, ASTM D 490, ASTM D 3320-74T, FAA P627,FAA P628, and FAAP631 specifications for coal tar pitch emulsion (CTPE) pavement sealer.
Make sure when choosing a sealer (or contractor) that it has an aggregate component (sand) in the seal coat. This extends the life of the seal coat and gives the driveway’s surface more traction. This is even more important in the winter months when snow and ice can be an issue.
Driveway Crack Repair
Whether you call it crack sealing, crack repair, or crack filling it is the most important thing you can do to extend the life of your driveway.
The purpose of sealing cracks in asphalt is to protect the structure of the pavement from premature failure. Cracks left unsealed allow water intrusion and incompressible debris retention in the crack opening. Water in the cracks can penetrate into the base materials creating a loss of strength in these materials. The undermined pavement structure can result in load-related failures such as fatigue or “alligator” cracking. The retention of incompressible debris in the crack causes the pavement to heave at the crack’s edges as the pavement expands due to thermal changes. These failures and deficiencies decrease the lifespan of the pavement and raise the overall cost by requiring increased maintenance, or replacement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do with my car?
Please be sure to have all vehicles removed from the driveway. If parked on the street please park away from the entrance to your driveway.
Can I wash my car before you seal the driveway?
We ask that you refrain from washing in the days prior to sealing the driveway. Some car wash detergents contain silicone which may affect the sealers bond with the pavement. Never use tire cleaners on your driveway. They will stain the asphalt and will prevent the sealer from adhering to the driveway.
What about Fido?
Keep all pets restrained or inside until the sealer is dry to the touch. We are not responsible for any paw prints on walkways, steps, carpets, etc.
Can my kids use the driveway for chalk drawing?
If there is colored chalk on the driveway please rinse the area a couple days before your schedule date.
Do you move all items off the surface of the driveway?
Please remove all items from the surface of the driveway 24 hours before our arrival. If you cannot move any heavy items please contact us and we will make arrangements to move it for you. Oak barrel planters with soft or rotted bottoms will not be moved, we will seal the area around it.
I have automatic sprinklers. Do I need to shut them off?
Turn off automatic sprinklers 24 hours before our arrival. You can turn them on once all the sealer has dried.
How long do I have to stay off the driveway?
Once the sealer is dry to the touch you can walk on it. We recommend keeping cars off for 48 hours, and to avoid any hard wheel cutting or sharp turning for the first couple weeks.
What do I do with your sign, banner tape, and stakes?
Once the driveway is ready you may dispose of the banner tape, stakes. If you would like us to pick up the sign please give the office a call and we will send someone to retrieve it when we are back in your area. Otherwise, you may dispose of the sign as you see fit.
Any other tips you might have for me?
It is a good idea to do your grocery shopping the day before the driveway is sealed, especially if you have a long driveway.
What to Expect
We have some things you may want to keep in mind after the driveway is sealed. These are the most common concerns are listed below. If we sealed your driveway, and you have a question please do not hesitate to call us. Remember we guarantee the driveway one year from the date it was sealed.
Two days off the driveway?
We ask our customers to refrain from driving on the driveway for at least two days, three or four days is better but with careful driving two is enough. If you have a contractor who says to stay off the driveway more than five days, it is only because he wants to make sure his sign stays up longer. It is true that some sealers take as long as thirty days to fully cure but we find that the sealer will set up enough for light to moderate vehicle traffic after two days time. On the other hand you should avoid delivery trucks, construction equipment or other large vehicles for at least two weeks or preferably longer.
The texture of your driveway will be similar to what is was before sealed.
Sealcoating a driveway will definitely increase the curb appeal of your new driveway, sometimes dramatically, what it will not do is give you a new driveway. Imperfections on the surface of the driveway will reappear after coated. The purpose of the sealer is to provide a protective layer between the elements and the pavement, not to be applied so thickly as to smooth out all the surface imperfections. If applied too thickly the sealer will tend to crack on the surface, or peel, which over time will reduce the sealer’s effectiveness and make the driveway look worse not better.
Sealer “mustache along grass edges”
We use a spray application when applying the sealer to your driveway. So before we spray the driveway, we will use special sealcoating brushes to apply the sealer near your garage, siding, concrete or brick walkways and fences. This is to avoid sealer “over-spray” from coming in contact with those areas mentioned. We do however spray right up to the grass edge leaving a ” mustache” of sealer along the edge where the lawn meets the driveway. This will not kill the grass and after you mow your lawn once or twice the sealer mustache is gone completely.
In the case of bark mulched areas we will push the mulch off the edge of the driveway before applying the sealer.
Turning marks
In the first week after your driveway is sealed the sealer still be in the process of curing and the surface of the sealer will be susceptible to turning marks or tire tread marks. This is due to the increase of friction from the tires to the pavement when a fast or sharp turn (or even worse, a stationary turn) of the tires is made.
The best way to avoid tire marks is to take it easy, go a little slower than normal and to take wide turns.
The important thing to know is that normal tire marks created will generally fade and disappear after a few weeks.
If you see a mark with bare pavement or with raised edges then give us a call and we will come back and touch it up.
Discolored areas of sealer
During the spring and fall when the temperature is on the cooler side there can be a discrepancy in the curing rates of the sealer. Areas that are open to the sun will cure faster than shaded areas. This can lead to the sealer looking uneven or discolored. As the sealer cures overtime it will become uniform as the discolored shady areas eventually catch up.
Get A Free Consultation & Estimate
Our attentive staff is available Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM to answer your questions.