Do-it-yourself asphalt driveway seal coating... Part II

Hi everyone, Brian here again…  Thanks for following our blog..

In our last posting we shared some information for the Do-It-Yourself home owner with some basic information and a short story of what many typical homeowners experience…

While we did try to sprinkle in some helpful hints in our story, there are many specific things that a Do-it-Yourself homeowner should know...  

So today, we will start at the beginning. I’m talking about the sealer it’s self.

Across the county there are many brands available.  In most states all you will find are water based sealers, these are commonly called Asphalt Emulsion sealers. Most of these have a high percentage of solids, i.e. sand and clay.

The other type of sealer that is available in some states is a Coal Tar based sealer. When purchased for your local store this sealer will also typically have a high percentage of solids, i.e. sand and clay as well.

The asphalt emulsion products are more forgiving for the Do-It-Yourself homeowner. They are easier to clean up (if you catch it while it's still wet) and they have lower VOC's.

They range in price across the county anywhere from $17 - $35 per bucket (about 4.75 gal per bucket). The price varies of course on the brand and grade of product you purchase.  

We have used and tested all of the major brands available here in South Florida, and what we have discovered is that product consistency in all brands leaves something to be desired. (Read online product reviews and you will see that this is a common observation) However overall in testing the one thing that we can say is that the old phrase "You get what you pay for" generally rings true for these products... 

I would like to put this sealer information into perspective, especially for the people living here in Florida, or anywhere within 50 miles of an ocean. Or wherever salt is used on the roads during the winter.  Salt water, salt content in the air or salt particulates from roadways all will cause asphalt emulsion based products to wear and erode prematurely.

Professional sealcoaters (especially here in Florida) predominately use Coal Tar based sealers.  These products (and there are several brands and manufacturers) are far more durable than the asphalt emulation based products.  There are the rare occasions where  water based asphalt emulation sealers may be required due to project spec’s, but this situation is a very rare occurrence.

The reasons professionals use coal tar based sealers is three fold.  They are the only widely used sealers that are DOT / FAA / USAF certified and approved. (ASTM D-5727-00 (previously Federal Spec. RP-355e)  Here is a link to actual product testing  results from on of the Coal Tar based sealer manufacturers http://www.starsealfl.com/Star%20Seal%20Bulletin.pdf


One reason for having a professional seal your driveway is that most use the more durable coal tar based sealer on your driveway which will provide longer more durable  protection than your typical store purchased sealer.


But lets talk some more about the sealer you as a homer owner would probably be purchasing. 
As we stated earlier, in our testing we found consistency issues across the board.  For this reason we strongly recommend that you purchase a bucket or two MORE than you have calculated that you require.  Should you find an inconsistent mix in one of the buckets you won’t be dead in the water, and you can return (at any of the big name D-I-Y stores) extra unopened buckets or opened buckets with quality issues.


Also as we discussed during our testing you basically get what you pay for with regards to the product you choose to buy.  That being said…  Let’s talk about product warranties.
We have selected two major brands sold at two different brand name D-I-Y centers.  Both offer a multi year warrantee on their product.  Please see the links we have provided to view the manufacturers fine print. Product A   Product B.


Some things to note:  Keep ALL Receipts (for the duration of the warrantee), For warrantee  to be valid TWO Coats MUST be applied, with Product B if repairs are required you MUST use their other products to make the repairs…


So if you are hoping to come even close to the length of time that the bucket says the product will protect your pavement, plan on applying two coats.


Well that’s the basics on asphalt sealer.


In our next posting we will talk about what we recommend for tools to make the job the as painless as possible, and we  will discuss surface and driveway preparation.


Thanks again for following our blog, and we’ll see you next time.


Brian
South Florida SealCoat
954.237.9864
SealCoat911.com

Do-it-yourself asphalt driveway seal coating...

This time of year, in many parts of the country, sealing your asphalt driveway is the last thing on many homeowners minds.  However...  Should you be fortunate enough to live in the warmer climates of the sunny south...  Seal coating season is here!! (actually if you are dealing with professionals using the right sealers and additives it's really seal coating season all year long...)


Many home owners here in the south know that now is the prime time of year to tackle home improvement projects outside.  The weather is typically perfect for most outside projects.  It's not too hot, too windy or too wet (most of the time).


One of these projects for the Do-it-Yourself crowd is sealing their asphalt / pavement driveways. For some, this is a project that the home owner is determined to do themselves to "Save Money"...  There are other home owners who have sealed their driveways for years and are content to handle this themselves because they enjoy it.


We at South Florida SealCoat are professionals who do this for a living, we repair, seal and install new asphalt for both residential and commercial properties.  However on our blog we are here to share useful, practical  information with you.  So we would like to describe for you what many typical home owners experience...  It's our attempt at truth with a smattering of humor.  Then We'll help you with some very useful information...


The typical Do-It-Yourself homeowner often has the illusion that doing it themselves is a way of saving money. 


If you have ever sealed a driveway yourself you know that it can be back breaking labor. You will need to by several buckets of the sealer at a hardware or home improvement store. Most likely, the buckets you will be purchasing will have an inferior blend of sealer compared to what almost any reputable seal coater will use. 


The sealers available at hardware stores are usually water based (also called asphalt emulation) and have a high percentage of solids, i.e. sand and clay. Stir one bucket and you know what I’m talking about. Hardware store brands know that the average homeowner falsely believes that large amounts of sand are needed for traction. They also know that sand is a very cheap additive.


You will discover that as you open the buckets (spend the $4.99 for the Bucket tool), that they are not all consistent as some will be very thick, some will be VERY thin... All will have to be stirred / mixed throughly. (we strongly encourage you to disregard the "NO Stir Guarantee") If you didn't purchase a universal mixing paddle or a stucco mixing paddle (about $10 - 12) that attaches to your drill you will most likely give up trying to stir by hand and drive back to the store for one (this is HIGHLY reccomended by the way)


Once all of the buckets are mixed to a similar well blended consistency and have lugged many of these 50lb buckets around on your driveway for half a day in the blazing sun, you probably will have ruined at least one pair of shoes, one pair of pants, a shirt, and a junky hardware store roller, wooden brush and/or squeegee, you will come to the conclusion that you have not purchased enough sealer. (most of the time homeowners find that the suggested coverage rates just don't seem to apply to their driveway.)  You will then have to drive back to the store a soiled, broken and bitter man (or woman)...


OK...  So a little attempt at some humor with a fair amount of facts thrown in.. (I know I'll never make it in stand up comedy... so I won't quit my day job...)


Please read our next posting for some very helpful and piratical hints for the Do-It-Yourself Homeowner...


Thanks,


Brian
South Florida SealCoat
954.237.9864
SealCoat911.com

Introduction to South Florida SealCoat

Welcome to our very first Blog. We would like to thank you for taking the time to visit. Here you will find information about our services, the products we use and recommend, frequently asked questions about driveway and parking lot maintenance and related posts and topics relevant to todays home owners, property managers, HOA's, business owners and maintenance managers. 


We are South Florida SealCoat located here in beautiful South Florida. We are commercial and residential Parking Lots and Driveway Specialists. The services we provide include: Asphalt Seal Coating, Crack and Pothole Repairs, New Asphalt, Asphalt Resurfacing, Edge Repairs and Replacement, Paver & Concrete Cleaning, Sealing / Painting.  We also provide Exterior Chemical & Pressure Washing Services and Safe No Pressure Roof Cleaning Services.


We pride ourselves on producing superior results using long lasting commercial grade products and equipment that will provide protection and improve the appearance of your property. We want you to be please with our workmanship and service - satisfaction is guaranteed on every job we do!


Please feel free to visit our website to learn more about our company and the services we provide. 


We look forward to getting to know you and sharing insights and information here on our blog.


My best regards,


Brian
South Florida SealCoat
954.237.9864
SealCoat911.com