If your home in Monmouth county has an asphalt driveway, as most homes do, you have probably heard of or have some experience with sealcoating.  While sealcoating’s main purpose is to protect your asphalt surface, you can have too much of a good thing.  There are a few guidelines to follow when deciding on when your driveway is ready for a protective covering of sealcoat.

First and foremost, you should never sealcoat a freshly installed asphalt pad.  It is recommended to wait a minimum of 6 months to 1 year to allow fresh asphalt to cure.  If you apply sealcoating too soon after a new installation, you will lock in the lightweight hydrocarbon oils that are naturally occurring in asphalt.  If you do not wait the minimum recommended time, you don’t give those oils a chance to evaporate from the surface which leaves your asphalt flexible and prone to imprints.

Secondly, if you are in the situation where you have already done an application of sealcoating on a well cured driveway, how long should you wait to do it again?  There is a bit of a range for this question based on use, quality of products, and environment.  A general rule of thumb is every three to six years.  If you apply too often, the sealant tends to peel and crack.

Third, the condition of the surface is a good indicator of if it is time to sealcoat, resurface, or replace your asphalt.  If you do not sealcoat in time and the number of cracks on the driveway become too abundant, what is known in the industry as “alligator cracking”, you cannot apply sealcoat.  At that point, the surface is not stable enough to apply a sealant and would need to be replaced.  However, if your driveway has only a few cracks, it is gray in color versus black, or it has been at least 3 years since sealant has been applied, you should consider sealcoating.

Sealcoating is very helpful in protecting your asphalt driveway when used appropriately.  It protects the surface from weather damage, strengthens the surface to protect from potholes, improves the overall look of the asphalt surface by giving it a deep, rich black color, and also protects your vehicles from wear and tear by keeping the surface smooth and uniform.  As with almost anything however, you can have too much of a good thing.  You do not want to apply sealcoating to a newly installed asphalt driveway without giving it the proper time to harden.  You also want to wait a few years in between applications because if you apply too often, the product will start to fail and work against all the things it is meant to protect your driveway from.  If your driveway is aged significantly and you have never applied a layer of sealcoating, it may be too late.  Once too much damage has been done to the surface, it is no longer suitable for repair, but will need to be replaced.

As long as you follow a few simple guidelines, sealcoating your driveway in Monmouth County is a relatively easy task

If you are in doubt if your driveway is ready to have sealcoating applied, contact a professional.  Find a sealcoat company in Monmouth County that you can trust to give you good advice and does quality work.