Asphalt Sealer
 

Got a quote to seal my nearly 8K SF of drive and parking area that was a solid 35% higher than what it cost me in 2021! Looking over consumer available products that have reviews that are all over the place for 4.75 gallons that range in price from $40 to $75. Since it was done 4 years ago so product should per info it should cover 400 to 500 SF per bucket since the voids have been previously filled last time.

Have any of you guys done work like this yourself and found a preferred product? I realize prep is very important so will do that accordingly going as far as pressure washing areas before application after dry time and doing it during warm weather.

What ya got for me?

I've done mine a couple of times. I just get the LatexIte Ultra Shield (I think that's the name) from Home Depot. I use filler on the cracks breforehand and just use a garden hose with a nozzle that puts out a good stream to clean it off. It goes down with a roller. I use about ten to twelve, 4.75 gal. buckets on a driveway (asphalt) about 145 ft. long by approx. 10 to 11 ft. wide, so each bucket covers around 150 s.f. I usually have to (should) do it about every five years or so. I have to do mine this season.

I was so shocked at the pricing last go around. I actually looked into buying a rig for my truck and doing it as a side gig. As with paving, it is a gypsy industry.

Everyone I know that has done the DYI has said never again.

I have a 210ft U shaped asphalt drive that I was having resealed every third year.
Could have gone longer than 3 years, but the guy was only charging me $180/time.

Two years ago, he called and said the rates had gone up, but I like how it looks after a fresh reseal, so I had him do it again. He charged me $350 the next time.

I also noticed when using the gas leaf blower on it that it had lifted the edge of the coating up from the asphalt in a couple places. (about a foot square)

So I'm guessing that I have too much sealer on it....I'll cut back to every 5 years now.

That is my take after trying the bucket/squeegee method a few years back. Not fun.

The city just completed doing a slurry coat of the street down the block from us. I'm glad we got a full repaving instead of the slurry. It turned out very bumpy for riding my bike on vs the pavement that was there. It was a mixture of sand and ground up plastic bottles which had been recycled according to the guy I spoke with. I wish they had run a roller over it to smooth it out after it had set. Now, when it's been in the sun a while, people turn their wheels without moving and it tears up the surface. Not at all like asphalt.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1747236150.JPG

Do you need a different sealant for snow country?

Not any special mix. My quad plow has rubber, adjustable wearing level pucks that keep the plow just off the surface as to not scuff or gouge up the finish.

The last guy I used owned his own tank and did paving too but has retired. The guy I'm dealing with now rents a tank and has it filled down in the valley. He is doing this as a side gig from his contracting business. He has done retaining walls and some other electrical work for me. I trust him, but water can be added to the tank of straight oil and usually is but the rate is a concern. The water makes the mix go further and helps in it curing/dry faster.

I'm concerned the over the counter stuff may not be up to the task in that it will come up when folks turn w/o moving. USPS, FedEx & UPS all go up and make a 3 point turn around in the upper area. I'm on a 1st name with the drivers and can ask them to consider this, but my gal will likely forget.....

How much would a cement pad at the top for turning around cost? Probably way too much

I asked a good friend that does this sort of thing if there was any DIY product that is worth a damn. He said "don't waste the money". He's an upfront guy that I'd trust.

The pavement is only about 7 years old & in great shape so removing it for concrete is not money well spent at this point. A neighbor has a concrete slope down to his place and grooved the concrete like you would see on a boat ramp. It's actually counterproductive cause you can't plow the snow out of the grooves, then it freezes and becomes a sheet of ice, in the shade no less. Concrete does hold up better than asphalt with snow chains though.

Ya, as I mentioned I figured the off the shelf stuff was less effective, especially being susceptible to unraveling in the scuffing turn areas. I read a bunch of product reviews that did not instill a ton of confidence. If it was less SF I might be more willing to give it a try. Thanks for asking your buddy.

Sounds like this is a pay the man situation

Interesting that ice gets promoted by grooved pavement, makes sense if you think about it I guess

I did mine - 5k sf. Wasn’t that bad. Prep was a pain, but the actual job wasn’t awful. Saved a couple k over having it done for me.
It's been 3 years and it held up just fine. I’ll be redoing it this summer.

What product did you use, and do you have much in the way of turns? Specific turns that the uninformed will turn while not moving?

If diy...count on wrecking a pair of pants and shoes. :)

<iframe width="500" height="560" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/03p700FlOFE" title="Driveway Before VS After (@sealcoatingislife)" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Did some bid shopping and found a guy that was only $300 more than when I had it done 3 years ago. Ended up his wife came to be his helper, and I knew here from the local Liquor store... Gotta love that small town Mayberry stuff.... Watched every bucket go down and brushed in with a very thick spread rate. Very happy with the results and will keep traffic off it for 3-4 days.

Gunna be an expensive few days if that boat purchase goes through later this week.



http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1753746224.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1753746224.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1753746224.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1753746224.jpg

I have done our parking lot at the restaurant about twice, 35 years ago was the last time. I used a sealer form southern states that had creosote in it and it burnt my ass up. The first time I did it I had no issues with the burning.
I have convinced myself that it's just cosmetic and save the money.

Wow, that looks great!
Is it really as smooth as it looks in the pics?

Let me just say, ‘Never again.’

The cost to have it done was too close to what I paid for materials alone. Guy’s scheduled to do it tomorrow AM.

With the cost of eggs, bacon and beef I understand.....

It was paved about 10 years ago, 3 years before I bought the place. I had it slurried in 2021 and have stayed on the crack sealing to keep it in good shape from day one. Peppy's take aside if you keep it sealed and don't let water infiltrate the base it will last much longer and is less likely to get alligator cracking over time.

The guy, who is the preeminent paving contractor up here who did this work years ago uses a mix that looks great without much work. A 3/8" aggregate with the bulk of the mix being what is called "fines" (sand) makes it look pretty but is not as structurally sound as a 1/2" mix with more asphalt emulsion would be. It is smooth as it looks because I'm aware of what it takes to keep it that way.

Thanks for the kudos, but I just watched..

I just finished patching and crack sealing mine. My wife surprised me by getting a company to come and do the actual sealing. That will be nice ! I usually do it myself. I think she was trying to keep me from dying out in the heat. My driveway is about 100x20 near the house and 100x10 going towards the road. The last 100 feet to the road is crushed concrete. I can normally squeegee all of it in about 3 hours.

Wow!
You've changed my mind on driveway sealing.
Looks like it works a lot better when using a squeegee compared to a paint roller.
I didn't know this method existed.

Without a doubt with the squeegee or a 30" brush like the guy used yesterday is the way to go. The company who did it for me last time used a squeegee, but I liked the brush application better. Left more material for sure, but in my estimation the squeegee was better for the 1st application as it forced material down into the texture of the AC finish.

The improved look is only half of it as it extends the life of the pavement. I was concerned after the 1st job my snowplow would scuff and take its toll on the finish but it held up well.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1753807120.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1753807120.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1753807120.jpg

Posted on another platform about this work and the guy who has done other work for me and quoted the same job for roughly 20 cents more a SF called me last night all salty. He complained I should have told him I got another price and gave him an opportunity to meet it. I told him I did not expect him to drop his price by over a 1/3 and why he did not give me his best price from jump. He was pissed, but I said it saved me at least a grand and beating down his price would have been disrespectful and created unneeded drama.