Sealcoating your driveway with asphalt can largely help you contribute to extending its lifespan. It is also a great way to ensure parking lot maintenance.
Asphalt is not only a naturally durable material but is also safe and smooth to drive on. These features make them an amazing sealant for road construction projects. Roads that are coated with asphalt can be expected to last for a very long time and it is relatively easy for an asphalt contractor to carry out maintenance activities on them. You can, therefore, expect that sealcoating your driveway with asphalt would not only be doing your driveway a favor, but also your car.
Sealcoating your driveway, specifically with asphalt, prevents excessive water and moisture from seeping in, which could result in cracks. If you want to avoid unnecessary costs from having to frequently repair your driveway, then asphalt sealcoating is the way to go.
However, if you’ve ever asked the ‘how much does it cost to seal an asphalt driveway’ question, it would interest you to know that this question is not as uncommon as you might think. It is only normal that you’d want to have this information, especially if you’re planning a sealcoating project for your asphalt driveway or even an asphalt driveway repair. It is important that you bear in mind too that the answer to your ‘how much does it cost to seal an asphalt driveway’ question would vary widely depending on several factors. These factors could be the asphalt or paving contractor/ paving service that you hire, the paving companies, and even the size of your driveway and how deep it is.
This guide will help you have a clear understanding of how much you’d need to budget to seal coat your asphalt driveway, along with the asphalt maintenance service, and some factors that can influence the overall cost.
The Benefits of Sealing Your Asphalt Driveway
There are many advantages to sealing your asphalt driveway. The first and most obvious benefit is that it protects the surface from UV rays, which can cause cracking, fading, and discoloration. It also prevents water from damaging the surface by keeping dirt and debris away from it.
If you have a long driveway or one that gets very wet during heavy rains or snowfall season (especially those located in areas with lots of trees), sealcoating will help prevent mold growth on top of aging asphalt surfaces, over time, as well as keep weeds out of cracks between slabs, so they don’t grow up through them into your home’s foundation causing structural damage—which could eventually lead to costly repairs down the road if not addressed immediately.
Sealing also helps keep dirt and debris off of your driveway so that you don’t have unsightly marks when driving up onto them later on too; plus they look cleaner too since there isn’t any visible accumulation present once sealed correctly.
The Process of Asphalt Sealcoating
The process of sealing an asphalt driveway is simple. You’ll first clean the surface of your driveway. While doing this, be sure to pay extra attention to edging. This means you’ll need to trim down any overgrowth between the cracks. You’ll also need to remove any oil stains on the asphalt using a broom or a brush and an oil spot removal chemical.
Carry out a crack filling, crack repair, or pothole patching if any of these exist on your driveway to allow for smoother sealcoating activity.
Once this is done, go on to apply a sealer and smooth it out. The sealer protects your asphalt from further damage, which helps extend its life.
This process might require some technical know-how and specialized equipment which you may not have. As such, it is important that you hire an asphalt contractor, or at the very least, consult with one.
Despite the durability nature of asphalt, asphalt driveways are still very susceptible to various forms of wear and tear that can affect the integrity of the road surface over time. This wear and tear could be from heavy traffic loads driving frequently on the driveway, snow plowing, or sanding down through harsh weather conditions like ice or rain storms. It is, therefore, important to keep your asphalt driveway in good condition year-round by regularly sealing it with quality products or, better yet, contacting an asphalt maintenance service.
How Much Does It Cost to Seal an Asphalt Driveway?
The cost of sealcoating an asphalt driveway is $0.15-0.35 per square foot, which is 10 times cheaper than replacing your entire driveway. Sealcoating can be done in one day and by a professional asphalt contractor who has the necessary equipment and training to perform the job properly.
This price, however, varies, so be sure to consult with several paving companies and contractors, and get quotations from more than one of them before finally making a decision. Better yet, a local paver could be just right for the job, particularly because these local pavers are better experienced and would have more knowledge about the terrain of the area and know how best to handle your sealcoating project.
Factors That Influence the Cost of Sealing an Asphalt Driveway
There is no one-size fits all answer to your “how much does it cost to seal an asphalt driveway” question. A ton of factors could influence the overall cost of the project and you’d want to bear these things in mind so as to know what exactly you’d need to budget for.
These factors include the length and width of your paved area, the sealcoating quality, and the asphalt contractor you hire.
Length and Width of Your Paved Area
This is one factor that, to a large extent, can affect how much you’d spend on your next sealcoating project.
The longer and wider your driveway is, the more materials that would be consumed, both in terms of the preparation of your driveway to be coated, the coating sealcoating activity itself, and the labor costs.
The Sealcoating Quality
Before embarking on your project to sealcoat your asphalt, you’d want to bear in mind that there are different types of sealants available in the market and not all asphalt contractors use the same sealant. And the quality of the sealant used can go a very long way in influencing how long your driveway will need to be coated again.
What this means is that if a sealant of low quality is used to coat your driveway, there are chances that you will have to spend money coating your driveway frequently and, as the prices of things go up every day, the more expensive this sealcoating project would be each time.
So, by all means, this is something you’d want to keep an eye out for. Be sure to carefully look into the asphalt contractor that you intend to hire, go through reviews on their page, and ask questions where necessary.
The Asphalt Contractor You Hire
Not every asphalt contractor charges the same amount for their services. Get quotations from local contractors around you so you get an idea of what each contractor’s charges look like. When you’ve done this, you can then go on to settle with the one that offers quality services and matches your budget.
How Often Should I Seal My Driveway?
The frequency at which you should seal your driveway depends on several factors, including the type and condition of your asphalt. If it’s in good condition, you can expect to get about 8-12 years out of an average driveway before it needs to be repaved. If the surface is chipped or cracked, however, then it will need to be repaved sooner. This is especially true if there are large cracks that show through the top layer of asphalt.
If you have very little traffic on your driveways, then sealing every two or three years may be enough for them. But if you have lots more cars passing by regularly, then maybe four years isn’t enough time between coats.
Certain Services You’d Need for Your Asphalt Driveway
If you want to keep your asphalt driveway looking good more times than it looks bad, then you’re going to need to use certain kinds of services. Here, you’ll be able to get a sense of what these services look like, and the people that would be involved.
Asphalt Driveway Repair
Asphalt driveway repair is a good way to extend the life of your driveway. Repairing your asphalt driveway can be done by a professional asphalt contractor. These contractors use high-quality materials and equipment, so they can repair small cracks in your driveway with ease and precision.
If you want to save money on replacing an entire section of asphalt driveways, then this is definitely something worth considering.
Parking Lot Maintenance
Parking lot maintenance is important for your business. You want to make sure that the parking lot is maintained so that it looks good and stays safe for customers. There are several steps you can take to ensure the safety of your customers and employees in the event of an emergency such as fire or theft:
- Keep all trash bags nearby so they can be easily removed in case of an emergency.
- Make sure there are no loose articles lying around (e.g., sharp objects).
- Install at least two fire extinguishers on each level of your building—one outside each entrance — one inside each office space and two more in case these fail during an emergency situation like a fire outbreak.
Asphalt Maintenance Service
Asphalt maintenance is one of the most important aspects of your driveway. It’s essential that you take good care of it, and you can do so by sealcoating it regularly.
Once every three years or so will be sufficient, depending on how much traffic it carries daily. However, if you notice any signs of wear or damage on your asphalt surface before then, it may be time to schedule an appointment with a professional contractor who specializes in sealing driveways and parking lots.
If you have already sealed your driveway but still see some problems developing over time (especially after heavy rains), its best you seal it again immediately. If there are visibly visible patches where water has seeped through the asphaltic material underfoot, then this is good evidence that they’re still susceptible to moisture infiltration due to poor drainage capabilities within their construction materials’ design specifications.
Paving Companies
When it comes to sealing your driveway, paving companies are the way to go. They have the equipment and experience to do the job right, and they can help you find the right sealant to match your color scheme.
If you’re considering hiring a paving company, consider these factors:
- How long has this business been in business? The longer they’ve been around, the better their reputation tends to be.
- Is there someone at this company who specializes in asphalt driveways or other types of paving? Some companies only offer one type of work—but if you want something different than what they do best (like sealing), then it might be worth asking them about it before deciding whether or not there’s room in their schedule for yours!
Breathe Life Back Into Your Asphalt
Sealcoating is an affordable way to restore the look of your asphalt driveway. It can extend the life of your existing asphalt driveway, prevent cracking and potholing, and protect it from UV damage and more.
If your driveway is made of concrete and you need to carry out a concrete driveway repair, there are some things that can be taken care of by professionals. If your driveway is cracked or crumbling, it’s possible that water has seeped into the cracks and caused damage over time. If there are potholes in your parking lot, they may need to be filled with a concrete patching product so they don’t become worse over time.
If you have uneven surfaces or slippery spots on your driveway that cause accidents when someone drives over them, this can also be repaired by hiring a professional who knows how to fix these problems properly.
There is no denying the benefits of asphalt sealcoating, but it’s important to consider your needs first and budget properly. If you have a large driveway and want to seal it yourself, then the cost will be much higher than if you hire professional contractors.
An experienced contractor can help you get started on your own sealcoating project and can even offer simple services such as patching cracks in driveways or sealing areas with poor drainage that may cause flooding issues down the road.