What Homeowners Should Know About Sealcoating Their Driveway
Posted on: 16 April 2018
Having a paved driveway can be an excellent way of improving the ease of access to your property. However, you may not fully appreciate the type of care that the driveway will require. Improper care can lead to the driveway suffering premature damage. While sealcoatings can help to preserve and protect your driveway, you may not have all of the information about this type of coating.
What Happens If Your Driveway Lacks A Sealcoating?
There are many homeowners that will fail to have their driveways sealcoated due to a limited understanding of the benefits these coatings can have. One of the main ways that a sealcoating will protect your driveway is by closing the small pores that may exist in the surface of asphalt or concrete. When these pores are not closed, they may allow a variety of substances to work their way into the pavement. This can result in discoloration and cracking to develop. Furthermore, many sealcoats are formulated to reflect the sun's ultraviolet light, which can help to reduce the bleaching that can occur from years of being exposed to sunlight. If you have asphalt pavement, a sealcoat can be used to help to revitalize the color of the driveway if it has suffered minor bleaching from this exposure.
Is Sealcoating Permanent?
It is a common assumption for homeowners to think that a sealcoat will be a permanent addition to their driveway. Yet, these coatings will gradually start to break down and otherwise degrade. As this occurs, it will be necessary to reapply the sealcoat if you are to keep the driveway protected. Luckily, there are a few steps that can help to extend the life of your seal coat. For example, you may want to avoid using harsh salts or chemical deicing products during the winter as these materials can be corrosive enough to damage the sealcoating. Also, you should regularly rinse the driveway with a garden hose as this will remove oil and other automotive fluids that could also be damaging to the sealcoat. Despite these efforts, the sealcoat should be replenished every few years. To help you remember to do this work, you may want to write down the date that the driveway was sealcoated so that you will know exactly how old your seal coat is.
A sealcoating can be an important type of protection for your driveway. Yet, individuals will frequently fail to appreciate the importance of having their driveways protected with this coating. After you know the various ways that a sealcoating can benefit your driveway and the fact that these coating will need to be reapplied every few years, you should find caring for your driveway to be a somewhat easier task.
Share