How to Keep Your Driveway Safe and Sealed

1. How to Keep Your Driveway Safe and Sealed

2. A wonderful method to shield your driveway from the weather is to seal it, which is crucial since winter is quickly approaching. We guide you through each step. It is well worth the investment to protect an asphalt driveway. Patching and sealing the blacktop can prolong its life and raise the curb appeal and value of your house. Right now, before winter brings its harsh weather and below-freezing temperatures, is the best time of year to restore asphalt.

3. Examine the driveway for problem areas before sealing it. Examine your driveway carefully, taking note of any cracks, oily spots, potholes, or crumbling sections in each square foot. The driveway's margins and very end should receive special attention because they are particularly vulnerable to harm.

4. Seal up gaps Before applying an asphalt sealer, most driveways need to have at least a few cracks fixed. Repairing all cracks—no matter how small—is crucial. They will only become longer and wider with time if you do not. For patching cracks in asphalt driveways, a variety of solutions are available, such as squeeze bottles with pourable liquid, caulking tubes, and premade rolls. The size of the crack will determine which filler is best to employ.

5. Fill up cracksIf the fractures in your driveway have grown into potholes, you will need to find a different solution. Potholes, deep striations, and crumbling sections can be fixed with blacktop patch, also known as cold patch. In essence, blacktop patch is bagged, ready-to-use asphalt. (To break up the material inside, drop your new blacktop patch bag on the ground a few times and roll it back and forth.

6. Ensure that all loose asphalt or substrate is removed by giving the area a thorough brush or vacuum. After cutting open the bag, fill the hole with a 2-inch-deep layer of blacktop patch using a shovel. Using a hand tamper or an extra 4 x 4 or 2 x 4 length, compact the area. If extra blacktop patch is required, apply it, and compact the area once more. Continue doing this until the hole is just a little bit overfilled. After that, move your vehicle over the area repeatedly until it is level with the driveway.

7. Prepare the driveway for sealing: The last step before applying a sealer is to give the driveway a thorough cleaning. To begin, use a push broom to remove the heavier debris. Next, use a garden hose or, better yet, a pressure washer, to rinse the surface clean of all loose dirt, sand, and grit. Work your way down to the edges starting at the highest point of the driveway. If the driveway is particularly dirty and difficult to scrub clean, you may want to use a concentrated asphalt cleaner like Driveway Kleen.

8. Putting the driveway to rest.A weather prediction should be checked before applying sealant. For the sealer to set and dry properly, two to three days of dry, sunny weather may be required, depending on the type of sealer used. Before you begin, make sure the driveway's surface is totally dry.

9. There are numerous varieties of driveway sealers made of asphalt available. Tar-emulsion sealers are the least expensive; they cost approximately $12 per five-gallon pail, but they offer very little protection. But they need to be constantly stirred when applying. Driveway sealers using asphalt emulsion are the most widely used kind. They are reasonably priced at $20 to $25 per five-gallon pail, usually require no stirring, and offer superior resistance to water penetration and oil stains.