An asphalt driveway might seem indestructible especially when you crash a bike on one, but the truth is that nothing more than the sun's rays is required to destroy your driveway. The sun might take years to create a spiderweb of cracks through your driveway, but if you do nothing to protect your driveway, your driveway's days are numbered. On the other hand, you can restore life even to an old driveway by applying a sealcoat. For the best results, you will want to properly prepare your driveway.
Repair Damage
If you have cracks and/or potholes in your driveway, fill them before you move on. To repair cracks, remove any organic and/or loose material in the crack then fill them with a rubberized crack-filling compound. You should be able to find what you need at a home improvement store. Remember to fill the crack partway and allow the compound to cure for thirty minutes before you fill them the rest of the way. Once you have filled your cracks, let the compound cure for 24 hours before you drive over them.
To fill potholes, you will again start by removing loose and/or organic material. You can then fill the cracks with a patching compound. The key thing to remember is that you should fill the pothole partway then tamp it down before you fill it the rest of the way. Mound the compound a couple of inches above the surrounding asphalt, then tamp it down until it is level.
Wash Your Driveway
Once you have given any necessary repairs time to cure, you will want to thoroughly wash your driveway with a pressure washer. Any dirt left on the driveway can prevent the sealcoat from adhering properly, which in turn means that you will not get the best performance from your sealcoat.
Treat Chemical Spills
If you have gasoline, asphalt, antifreeze, or other chemical spills on your driveway, you will want to paint over them with a sealcoat primer.
Once you have properly prepared your driveway, you can use a rubber squeegee to paint on your sealcoat. Make sure you start next to a building and work away from it so that you don't paint yourself into a corner. As you go, make sure that the seal coat is at least an eighth-of-an-inch thick in all places. While you can apply a sealcoat on your own, you will likely get the best results if you hire professionals to do the work for you. Contact a business, such as Stritar Seal Coating, for more information.
