With winter approaching, autumn is the best season to apply sealer on your asphalt driveway. Maintaining your driveway is a piece of cake when you know how to do it. Sunlight, drops of oil and gasoline, water, snow and salt are all factors to which driveways are exposed throughout the year. Applying an asphalt sealer will increase your driveway’s durability. Not to mention that this procedure can be carried out simply and quickly. You can even do it yourself, without the assistance of a professional, and in a single weekend at that.

Types of driveway sealer

An acrylic sealer will mostly be an aesthetic choice. It provides for a non-slip surface and is sold in different shades. However, it is not a good product for asphalt as it is neither watertight nor durable and shows a lack of grip. It is an option that should thus be avoided.

On the other hand, using a bitumen sealer is an excellent choice. It will protect your asphalt, let it breathe, make it more flexible and comes in the black finish that we all know. It has a smooth and even texture. It is an option to consider.

Finally, a polymer-modified bitumen sealer will allow your asphalt to breathe and is watertight (water and hydrocarbons, such as oil). It is used for more damaged driveways. It even makes cracks and potholes watertight. This is the most recommended product.

Steps

However, before applying any kind of sealer, specific equipment is required to that end. Therefore, you will be needing:

• Rubber gloves
• A squeegee
• A scraper
• Sealer
• The equipment required to repair cracks and potholes.

Now, here’s how to apply asphalt driveway sealer:

1. It is important to fill all potholes as well as to fix cracks and holes before going any further. Make sure to thoroughly remove stains. Then, brush, rinse and let the asphalt dry for a period of 24 hours.
2. Carefully read the instructions on the sealer container. Open it and pour it directly on the asphalt. Do not pour a large amount, though. The key lies in using it sparingly.
3. Spread the product evenly on your asphalt.
4. Repeat this process until the sealer covers the entire surface of your driveway.
5. Make sure that nobody walks on or that no vehicle enters your driveway for a period of 24 hours.
6. Afterwards, use warm water and soap to clean the tools you used to spread the sealer.

All you need to do is go to the hardware store to purchase any missing piece of equipment and wait for a weekend where it does not rain. Who said that maintaining your asphalt driveway was a drag after all?