Asphalt driveway sealer questions

[CobyRupert]

Thanks to whoever pm'd me, I accidentally deleted all of my messages here. It helped me a lot.
Finally got to fixing the driveway. Another question guys, I have some driveway sealer left over.
Can i use them as sealant for my countertop? It's just minor repairs though.

Never used it for a countertop sealer, but I keep a leftover pail of sealer to dip various objects in that need a sealant. Typically, it's the end of some untreated lumber that I scraped together that is now going to be in contact with the ground.

 

[TomSeller]

Do you want your countertop to stink like asphalt? If so then do it, but I wouldn't.

Ditto. I don't think it passes as a food grade surface. . But I don't think it was a serious question. Or maybe it was?

 

[daddy2kids]

Okay thanks for the advice.

 

[big bubba]

I have an asphalt driveway at home that will need sealed this year. It has never been sealed before. I could use some recomendations on the best type of sealer to use and the application techniques to get the best job. I got a quote from a paving company to do the job but the price seems high. Do the pro's use a hot sealer thats better ??........What about the products from lowes or Home Depot ?? I have an area that was torn up by a set of studded snow tires ..........Will this need a different filler or treatment ?? It's mainly surface scratches but makes the driveway look bad........Thanks in advance !!.............TOM

a side note on asphalt "sealers". over the years, i applied Lowes best sealer on my existing asphalt driveway. looked great for a while. power wash prep, etc. then the sealer started to peal off in some areas, but adhered to other spots. a complete nightmare, looked terrible. i recently had the driveway resurfaced w/asphalt, great job. i will never use a sealer again. just a precautionary note on sealers. and it was Lowes best, twice the price of their econ grade.

 

[copytmpmzl]

Hello Tom,
I just sealed my driveway last weekend. I live in NH and it was 90+ degrees on the day I did it. I purchased the airport grade 5-gallon buckets from Home Depot. It has a 4 year warranty on it and it looks great. It was $9.98 for a 5 gallon bucket. They have various grades and as they go up so don’t the price.

Driveway preparation:

1. Use a weed whacker to trim the grass/weeds off the edge of the driveway.
2. I used a leave blower to clean the driveway of debris, dust, etc.
3. If you have fresh oil or other stains I would recommend you cleaning those first. Pressure washer would work well.

Lessons learned/Recommendations:
1. Wear long pants if/when you spread it yourself. I wore shorts and still have marks on my legs from the splatter. It either burned my skin or I had a reaction to it. I got it on my arms and hands but didn’t have a reaction there. Weird?
2. Wear latex gloves (pending you don’t have a latex allergy) when mixing. I removed my gloves after I dumped out half the bucket on the asphalt to spread. This way you can keep the squeegee handle free from the tar. You will go through a lot of gloves but it is better to stay clean.
3. Use a 5-gallon paint/asphalt tar mixer. I also purchased this at home depot in the paint department. You will need an electric drill (not a cordless, go through batteries to quick) to do the mixing. It took less than 4 minutes to mix each bucket. Doing it by hand is not worth it!
4. When spreading I would dump out ¼ to ½ the bucket on the asphalt. Using the squeegee I purchased at HD I would spread it around in an area you can manage. You want to keep a wet edge (kind-a like painting) when advancing to a new section. Spread it around the area going back and forth with the squeegee. For the final grade I would back drag the squeegee to me. I would then bang it on the ground getting any residue off for the next final pass.
5. I had 2 good days of hot weather so it dried well within 24 hours. I did not drive on it until then.
6. If you have pets keep them indoors or occupied for the time you are doing this. My dogs fingerprints got in it a few times. driveway coating removal Brisbane
7. Be sure to purchase extra buckets. You don’t want to run out and you can always return the leftovers.
8. I would place the empty buckets at the end of the driveway blocking off anyone trying to drive on it.
9. Enjoy and Have plenty of cold beer!

I had my driveway paved 3 years ago. The contractor did not recommend sealing it. As the time goes by, I feel like I should to help maintain it, not to mention improve the appearance. It has a few small cracks, but overall still in good shape with just a loss of color and the binder showing through now.
1. Is there a type of sealer that everyone likes and holds up well?
2. I have a few low-settled spots from tires. Is there anything that I can do for those before sealing? They are just annoying and hold water when it rains.

 

[copytmpmzl]

Hello Tom,
I just sealed my driveway last weekend. I live in NH and it was 90+ degrees on the day I did it. I purchased the airport grade 5-gallon buckets from Home Depot. It has a 4 year warranty on it and it looks great. It was $9.98 for a 5 gallon bucket. They have various grades and as they go up so don’t the price.

Driveway preparation:

1. Use a weed whacker to trim the grass/weeds off the edge of the driveway.
2. I used a leave blower to clean the driveway of debris, dust, etc.
3. If you have fresh oil or other stains I would recommend you cleaning those first. Pressure washer would work well.

Lessons learned/Recommendations:
1. Wear long pants if/when you spread it yourself. I wore shorts and still have marks on my legs from the splatter. It either burned my skin or I had a reaction to it. I got it on my arms and hands but didn’t have a reaction there. Weird?
2. Wear latex gloves (pending you don’t have a latex allergy) when mixing. I removed my gloves after I dumped out half the bucket on the asphalt to spread. This way you can keep the squeegee handle free from the tar. You will go through a lot of gloves but it is better to stay clean.
3. Use a 5-gallon paint/asphalt tar mixer. I also purchased this at home depot in the paint department. You will need an electric drill (not a cordless, go through batteries to quick) to do the mixing. It took less than 4 minutes to mix each bucket. Doing it by hand is not worth it!
4. When spreading I would dump out ¼ to ½ the bucket on the asphalt. Using the squeegee I purchased at HD I would spread it around in an area you can manage. You want to keep a wet edge (kind-a like painting) when advancing to a new section. Spread it around the area going back and forth with the squeegee. For the final grade I would back drag the squeegee to me. I would then bang it on the ground getting any residue off for the next final pass.
5. I had 2 good days of hot weather so it dried well within 24 hours. I did not drive on it until then.
6. If you have pets keep them indoors or occupied for the time you are doing this. My dogs fingerprints got in it a few times driveway coating removal.
7. Be sure to purchase extra buckets. You don’t want to run out and you can always return the leftovers.
8. I would place the empty buckets at the end of the driveway blocking off anyone trying to drive on it.
9. Enjoy and Have plenty of cold beer!

I have a oil-based tire dressing that I occasionally use on my Accord tires. It sprays a foam and I use an old rag to spread it around each tire. Picked this up at Pep Boys. How do I remove the excess that drips on my asphalt driveway and leaves four dark spots (one for each tire)? Can I use ammonia and a brush, or Fantastik cleaner, and brush the spot itself thoroughly? What do the forum pros use for this cleanup? Thanks!

 

[big bubba]

from my experience, i'd surely stay away from latex based sealers (even top grade) sold @ box stores. it will peal esp with poor drainage, freezing, etc. don't know about oil based asphalt sealers. good luck on your project

 

[Torvy]

Our neighborhood in Wisconsin was almost 100% asphalt driveways. I learned from the locals to use an oil based sealant when the surface became pitted. Did it twice in the 7 years we were there. The 2nd time was more to ensure it looked good for sale

In snowy areas, you want to keep it sealed so ice and snow come off more easily and you avoid the freeze thaw cycle that will break it up. If a contractor does not recommend sealing, they are either not in a snowy region or are looking for more work in a few years when you need to be resurfaced or replaced.