3 major benefits of driveway sealing
Updated: Jul 17, 2021
Driveway sealing is an easy and cost-effective way to protect your driveway from wear and tear. Asphalt is susceptible to quality deterioration, both from weather and automotive traffic. Regularly sealing your driveway can protect it from outside factors and prolong its life significantly.
Why should I seal the driveway regularly?
Have you ever noticed the regular maintenance works on neighborhood and city roads? Considering the much better grade of asphalt used on city controlled roads which is designed to withstand high automotive traffic, the Ministry of Transportation still heavily invests in regularly maintaining the road protection procedures. Now you can see why it’s important to keep up on regular maintenance, including asphalt sealing, in order to fend off major projects such as repaving a crumbling asphalt surface.
Major benefits of driveway sealing
Sealing your driveway has many benefits when it comes to preserving your asphalt/concrete driveway. Let's explore 3 major benefits of sealing your driveway.
Protection from Water
Driveway sealer consists of processed petroleum and tar. The reason a new driveway has blacker look to it is because the tar is heavily present in it. However, after some time the color of your asphalt becomes whiter and you might even be able to see individual colors of the rocks in it. Once the tar and petroleum wear off from the driveway, water becomes the biggest enemy of it. Asphalt has a natural tendency to crack if water is allowed to permeate it, and this tendency is only increased by the weight of cars regularly driving over it. Once those cracks appear, water further damages it, especially in cold climates where it expands and contracts with freezing temperatures. However, if your driveway is sealed, then the sealed surface will act as water repellant, because the sealer consists of processed petroleum and tar which are natural water repellants.
2. Protection from Sun and Oxygen
Other enemies of your driveway include sunlight and oxygen, both of which hasten corrosion. Your asphalt surface will typically run about 8 -10 degrees hotter than what the outside temperature reads. More so, on a day with abundant sunlight when UV rays begin to break down your asphalt, it can become brittle and dried out, therefore leading to cracks and damages. Similarly, by incorporating sealcoating into your pavement maintenance regimen can go a long way in protecting it from these damaging UV rays to help slow down the deterioration process caused by sun damage.
3. Protection from oil spills and leaks
It happens that sometimes cars parked on the driveway can leak their brake fluids. This leaves very distinctive mark on your driveway. Washing your driveway won't help since water can't wash away oil. The added benefit in this case is that your driveway oil leaks will be covered by the sealer and your driveway will obtain even surface color.
It is recommended that you seal your driveway every 1-2 years. This time period varies for different factors such as, heavy snowy winter, heavy rains, high automotive traffic, and hot summer conditions. More specifically, if you can see the color of the individual stones that make up your asphalt surface, you know it’s time to seal it up. A few rules apply before you seal, however. For starters, never seal a new asphalt driveway. Asphalt needs a minimum of six months for the oils in it to evaporate.
Talk to a Professional
Driveway sealing is an important aspect of asphalt driveway maintenance, however it’s not the only thing you need to keep up on. If your driveway has pre-existing cracks, potholes or other signs of wear, it’s vital that you fix those problems before you apply a sealant. That being the case, your best bet is to contact a professional that won’t only apply your sealant, but who will also evaluate your driveway for other maintenance needs that need to be addressed before you perform this necessary task. Here at Ark Services Group, we are committed to provide high-quality work, high-end quality sealer, and 100% customer satisfaction. Nevertheless, this does not affect our competitive pricing.
