We've compiled a list of some of our most asked questions:
Sealcoating is a commonly used and accepted preventative measure to safeguard your blacktop driveway against the negative effects of weather conditions, gasoline, oil, salt, and oxidation. Sealcoat is a layer of asphalt surface treatment applied to the driveway. When done correctly this application significantly slows the deterioration of your driveway and leaves your pavement with a dark black finish.
About every 2-3 years depending on variables such as traffic volume, how severe or mild the winter is, how much sealer is scraped off by snowplows, and how well the asphalt was originally installed.
May Sealing uses Tarconite, a very high quality coal-tar emulsion sealer manufactured by Neyra Industries (link to Neyra.com). When we purchase the sealcoat from our distributor it is in concentrated bulk form and must have water added to it. We add just enough water to make it spreadable. Chemicals are then added to the mix which make the sealer better adhere to your driveway and causes it to be more durable. The last thing added to the mix is fine sand which aids in traction and helps to fill in the smaller cracks. During cool weather in the Spring and Fall we will sometimes use the specially-formulated Tarconite Cool Weather Formula.
In the past we have experimented with several types of non-coal tar sealcoat and have always found the durability to be lacking.
No, we will thoroughly clean your asphalt prior to sealcoating. The only caveat to this is if you have something very unusual that has happened. For instance if you have an inch of mud covering most of the asphalt after a recent construction project…that is something we will need to discuss.
May Sealing utilizes hand-application with a squeegee and/or broom. One benefit of this method is that it is much easier to do a neat job when compared to a spray application. Another advantage of hand application is the thickness of the sealer. Sealer applied by hand floods the pavement surface and allows the sealcoat to be absorbed by the pores of your driveway, not just sprayed on top. One coat of sealer applied by hand is typically equivalent in thickness to approximately 2-3 sprayed-on coats. Residential Driveways are always done by hand and we also prefer a squeegee or broom application for first-coat application on commercial properties.
This depends on the condition of your asphalt. Asphalt properties in poor condition or those that have not been sealed in a long time typically need 2 coats of sealer. The benefits of an extra coat can be added protection against deterioration, better blending in of crackfiller, and a darker finish. If in doubt please call or email us and we will provide you with an expert opinion by way of a visit to your residence within 5 business days.
No, any sealer which might have inadvertently got on your grass will not kill it and should disappear within the next time or two your lawn is mowed.
We recommend you stay off the driveway for at least 2 days. You can walk on it almost immediately, but try to keep automobiles off the surface for 48 hours.
For about 30 days it is normal on about a third of the driveways which are sealed for some tire/power-steering marks to appear in the coating. These marks blend away or “scrub out” over a few weeks with more traffic. These temporary power-steering marks can be reduced by making sure your tires are always moving, if possible, while turning the wheel.
Hot-pour crackfiller begins as a solid block and is primarily compromised of about 50% asphalt and 50% of a synthetic rubber. When heated to a temperature of 350- 400 F, within May Sealing's melter/applicator, it liquefies and is applied in a 3 to 4 inch band. The huge advantage of hot-pour over the cold-pour varieties offered by our competitors is in durability. Cold-pour crackfillers typically break all the way open with the freezing temperatures experienced in Central Indiana each winter, leaving the previously sealed crack totally exposed. Hot-pour crackfiller, because of its rubberized quality, is more flexible and either does not break open with the freeze-thaw cycle or will only partially open leaving most of the crack filled. Depending on the degree to which your asphalt’s cracks expand and contract, it may be that crack repairs will last for 5+ years. On the other hand, cracks that move quite a lot, especially with the freeze/thaw cycle or with traffic might need to be touched up every year in order to keep them sealed.
No. Crack Filler is a thicker material and will be visible even when the crack repair is covered with sealcoat. Despite the crack repair being visible, it is still the number one thing you can do to prolong the life of your asphalt. Untreated cracks frequently turn in to potholes and lead to other deterioration.
No, but if you are not home we ask that any vehicles or other large objects be removed from the driveway. While we prefer payment upon job completion, we will leave an invoice if you are not home.
