Restoring a Damaged Driveway by Resealing
An asphalt driveway is one of the most common types of driveways. It’s durable, efficient to lay, and it can be easy to maintain over multiple years.
There are a lot of factors that go into it but, asphalt driveways tend to last 25 – 30 years before needing any major maintenance. Luckily, there are a lot of different ways to restoring an aging and damaged asphalt driveway.
Much like applying a wax to a car, resealing a driveway is a method in which a watery-asphalt mixture is spread across the driveway’s surface giving it a new fresh top coating. The goal is to seal any cracks, protect the surface, and help keep the asphalt from breaking apart.
In colder climates, asphalt often suffers from water seeping into small cracks then freezing during the winter months, causing cracking, breaks, and stress on the asphalt surface. Another common breakdown is discoloring or ware marks from multiple years of tire ware or dripping car fluids.
Today is a DYI overview on how to help extend the 25 – 30-year lifespan, even on a driveway that has multiple stressed areas.
The Supply List
A six-car driveway is one of the most common types of American driveways and a reseal on a driveway of this size is rather inexpensive and completed all in a day’s afternoon.
Check the driveway for any significant cracks that are large enough for a flathead screwdriver to be inserted into. Before resealing of the driveway can begin, it would be advised to shove caulk backer rod into these cracks with the flathead screwdriver.
Backer rod will help prevent the new sealant from dripping deep down into the crack and ground underneath. It also gives the next item on the list something to grab onto.
Next, some general blacktop crack filler is essentially asphalt in a bottle and it helps fill in the void that water would otherwise work its way into and freeze during winter. Combined with the backer rod, this already goes a long way in extending the driveway’s lifespan.
Depending on how many cracks there are it would be ideal to pick up two – four gallons; it goes by fast! A small scraper is also helpful in smoothing out the filling material.
For the actual driveway sealer, there are multiple different options, yearly guarantees, and types, but seeing that 5-gallon buckets are relatively inexpensive (more so if you buy multiple), it’s recommended to buy the top tier sealer.
The project showcased here was done with Latex-ite UltraShield and for the six-car driveway four 5-gallon buckets were used.
Besides a friend to help you with the actual project, the last needed item on the supply list is a pair of inexpensive driveway squeegees. The sealer will come out thick and watery which can only be squeegeed over the driveway’s surface.
Initial Prep Work
Before applying the sealer, it is best to cleanup and prepare the driveway for a new top coating.
As most driveways’ boarder against grass, over the years that grass may start to grow up through the cracks or even along the side of the driveway.
Using a strong flathead screwdriver, attempt to dig up any growing grass and/or weeds in the driveway’s surface. Afterwards, use a trimmer or weedwhacker to trip the lawn back away from the driveway. The goal is to expose as much of the side of the driveway as possible.
Continuing with the screwdriver, use it to push backer rod into any of the large cracks as mentioned earlier. It is also recommended on using the screwdriver to help clean out any debris in smaller cracks too.
Follow both steps with a leaf blower to prevent grass and other debris from getting stuck in the crack filler and/or sealer.
When applying the general crack filler, it will take a few hours for it to harden and dry. Best that this step be done the day before the resealing.
Day of Resealing
Granted the temperature’s low won’t drop below 50F degrees and there isn’t any rain in the near forecast, the resealing of a driveway takes about an hour and a half from start to finish.
Aggressively shake the 5-gallon bucket(s) of driveway sealer. The internal mixture is of water, sand, and other asphalt components which may pour out of the bucket rather thick if not shaken well.
Pour a hefty amount of driveway sealer towards the garage door and use the squeegee to pull the material all over the driveway’s surface. A thicker coat is highly recommended.
Continue this pouring of the sealer downwards towards the road and constantly pulling the sealer all over the driveway’s surface. Be cautious as the driveway can’t be walked on for about an hour as it dries.
To help get the sealing material on the sides of the driveway or in tough to reach areas, an inexpensive painter’s brush can help.
After applying the thick coat all over the driveway, the driveway should be a pleasant dark color. Do not worry about any squeegee marks as overtime the sealer will “weather-in” and blend.
It takes about an hour for the sealer to dry enough to be walked on. After about 24 hours, cars can drive on the driveway or kids can start making new calk drawings. To prevent anyone from driving on the driveway, use the 5-gallon buckets to create a makeshift barrier at the end of the driveway.
All for around $150 an aging and cracking driveway was suddenly given a restored life and with a new follow up coat to come in future years, any asphalt driveway could be show-listing ready once more!
Need other ideas to better improve your home’s value? Reach out to RJ Realty Co. and find out your home’s selling potential.
