Asphalt Sealcoating

Sealcoating is the cheapest insurance you can buy for asphalt. The surface is a petroleum product, and from the day it cools it starts losing the oils that keep it flexible. Sun oxidizes it, water works into it, and once it is dry and brittle the cracks come, then the potholes. A seal coat puts a barrier back over the top for a fraction of what it costs to repair the damage you are sealing against.

In Michigan the real enemy is what winter brings. Road salt is hard on bare asphalt, plow blades scrape an unprotected surface raw, and water that soaks in freezes, expands, and splits the pavement from the inside. A fresh seal coat blocks the salt and water out and gives the plow a tougher surface to ride over. It also takes the gray, washed-out look off an old drive and brings the black back.

We crack-seal first, because coating over open cracks just hides them while they keep growing. Then we clean the surface and apply the sealer evenly by squeegee or spray, depending on the job. Plan on resealing every two to three years; it is a small, regular cost that pushes a full repaving years down the road.