Project Difficulty:
Easy Estimated
Project Time: 3 days, including drying time
Tools and Materials:
Garden hose with hose-end sprayer
Pressure washer (optional)
Push broom or squeegee
Work gloves
Cleaner
Asphalt sealer
A stable asphalt surface that was properly installed needs only occasional sealing. New drives won't need it for at least a year. Sealer comes in 5-gallon cans, enough to cover about 250 square feet. Older, porous drives will soak up more, and newer drives will use less.
Sealing will make grayish, drying asphalt look better and keep out water that causes erosion and cracking. However, don't expect sealing to take the place of resurfacing, which involves topping an old asphalt drive with at least 2 inches of new material. And no coating can rescue a job that consists of a 1- or 2-inch layer of asphalt applied over loose gravel.
To determine whether a blacktop needs resurfacing, pour a bucket of water on it on a hot day while the sun is out. If the surface water evaporates but leaves a dark circle on the blacktop that takes much longer to dry, it means that water has soaked in and resurfacing is needed.
1.
Hose Down
Wash the surface to improve sealer adhesion. Use a hose, hose-end sprayer with detergent, or a pressure washer. (Fig. 1)
2.
Clean and Rinse
To eliminate stains, use full-strength cleaner. For general cleaning, you can dilute most solutions to the ratio of 1 cup of detergent to 1 gallon of water. Older driveways should be washed with about a quart of mixed household cleaner and water per 1,000 square feet of asphalt, and then rinsed. (Fig. 2)
3.
Seal
Most sealers can both fill and coat cracks up to 1/8-inch deep. Spread them with a squeegee or an old push broom. For extra protection, apply two thin coats, allowing 36 hours between applications. (Fig. 3)
