A beautiful black and smooth asphalt driveway makes the appearance and condition of your property a better one. But with asphalt pavement, you need to keep it maintained and protected with good care and upkeep, including sealing every few years as your pavement begins to age. Here are some tips to get your asphalt driveway protected with an asphalt sealcoating and take advantage of this optimizing treatment.
Clean Before You Begin
Before you begin your asphalt sealing project, you will want to make sure the asphalt does not contain any surface contaminants, dirt, debris, leaves, and other materials that you may or may not be able to see. Dust can settle in the cracks of your asphalt and will prevent the sealcoating from fully adhering to the pavement. And if there are any vehicle fluids on the pavement, the petroleum make-up of these solutions will not only prevent the sealcoat from sticking, but it will also soften and eat away at your pavement's layers.
Use an asphalt cleaning solution to clean your pavement. Apply it with a pressure washer sprayer and use a scrub brush to lift up and carry away debris and oil-based fluids. Use a pressure sprayer or your garden hose to rinse the cleaning solution and debris from the asphalt.
Focus on Oil Stains
If there are oil and grease stains that have settled into the surface of your asphalt, you should treat them with an oil spot primer. Apply this over the surface of the stain according to the treatment primer's directions and let it dry. This will help ensure your sealcoat application will not lift from the stain's oily components.
Use the Right Installation Process
Once you are ready to begin the sealcoat installation, you want to make sure you read all the product's instructions so you know how it needs to be installed. Some asphalt sealer needs to be applied with a brush and others will need to be spread over with a sealcoat squeegee. There are also sealcoat products you can apply with a sprayer wand to apply it evenly.
You can also hire an asphalt sealing service for the entire process to prepare and clean the asphalt, patch any cracks, and spread it evenly over the surface of the pavement. Just be sure to follow up with the recommended care and maintenance to avoid damage to the surface before it has time to cool.