One on the most common questions about driveway sealing is “when is the best time to seal your driveway” I get that on all the time. Some companies in my area recently have recommend that you wait till about mid summer, which I don’t agree with.
Spring is by far the best time for driveway sealing with late May to mid June being the optimal days. They usually meet all the requirements: Tempurature at least 15 degrees, and mutiple days in a row with no rain.
Since I own a driveway sealing website my friends and family assume that I seal my own driveway. The truth is that I pay to have my driveway sealed. Not because I don’t know how to, I don’t do it because it is a pain in the butt to do it yourself and can be expensive.
I have a smaller driveway so it really doesn’t make sense to spend the money to buy the tools required to seal it my self.
I just had my driveway sealed 2 days ago not by a big company but by a small local 2 person business. I took my own advice and paid after the job was done, asked what kind of sealant they were using and where they purchased it. I also inspected a few other jobs that they did on our street. NEVER pay before the job is done.
I had an estimate for $90 from the most popular driveway sealing company in the area, that was a bit too high in my opinion and they were not flexible on the price at all. Huge mistake.
The smaller guys that ended up doing the job did it for $50 using the exact same material and technique. I am extremely pleased with the results. The driveway looks great and cost maybe $10 more than if I tried to do it myself.
My point to all this is that there are deals to be had if you are looking to get your driveway sealed. Now is the perfect time to have it done and the prices that these companies quote you are not set in stone. Get multiple quotes and don’t rush into having your driveway sealed.
Good Luck
Are you looking for an alternative to the traditional asphalt driveway?
Maybe you just aren’t ready to go green and start your own green driveway. A great alternative to these is the concrete driveway.
Concrete driveways look great and can last a very long time. But what about the cost?
Concrete Driveway Cost
Right off the bat you can expect to pay more for a concrete driveway than you will for an asphalt one so as long as you know that going in you’ll be less shocked.
In recent years the price of concrete has increased dramatically and as such builders and contractors are passing those costs on to the buyer. On average you can expect to pay about $7 to $9 per square foot to have a professional concrete driveway poured. That is up about $1 a sq foot from a few years ago. It might not sound like a lot but if your driveway is huge that can add up quickly.
What Do You Get For Your Money
Lets take a look at a typical single car driveway that measures 30 feet by 10 feet for a total of 300 square feet. On average you will spend $2500 to have it poured. Obviously the bigger the driveway the more it will cost.
This includes the gravel base the concrete pouring and usually any clean up. You will need to check with your contractor to see how much they charge for tearing up your old driveway and preparing the site for the new concrete one. This can vary widely from state to state and contractor to contractor.
But what if you want stamped concrete or different colors and texture effects? Obviously that will cost a bit more. Up to $15 a square foot more. Colored concrete is about $1-2 per square foot but it’s the stamping and texture effect costs that add up.
Is A Concrete Driveway Worth The Cost?
Well take a look at these images and decide for yourself. Also keep in mind that a properly sealed and maintained concrete driveway can add thousands of dollars to the value of your home.
More and more people are looking for alternatitives to the standard Asphalt driveway. I often get asked about grass driveways, how to install them and if they are a good investment.
A grass driveway is basically a lawn where the traditional blacktop driveway would go. They are created using plastic lattice work that is then filled with soil and seed. This grows until the plastic framework is hidden and you are left with a beautiful looking grass driveway.
Benefits of A Grass Driveway
Grass driveways have a few major benefits one being that they reduce the amount of water that runs into the sewer drains, which in turn reduces the amount of pollutants that enter our lakes and rivers.
A blacktop asphalt driveway tends to absorb heat from the sun and then it radiates that heat throughout the day. Resulting in the area around your driveway/walkway to be a few degrees hotter. When every driveway in your neighbourhood does this it makes your whole neighbourhood hotter than it should/could be.
A grass driveway soaks up the suns rays and uses it, much less heat gets released back into the area around it reducing the average temperature around the outside of your home.
Another benefit to owning a grass driveway is that there is no need to have it sealed with harsh chemicals every year.
Drawbacks of Having a Grass Driveway
Unfortunately at the time of me writing this there are quite a few disadvantages of having a grass driveway installed. The first is cost. A grass driveway including the framework, soil, seeds and labour can cost up to 5 X the cost of a traditional asphalt driveway.
Next is the maintenance, like a normal lawn you are going to need to cut, water and weed the grass on a regular basis.
Most suppliers and contractors that install these grass driveways recommend that you do not park your vehicle on the turf for many days at a time. Since the car will be blocking the sun and rain your grass will start to turn yellow and eventually die. They also recommend that you not drive in and out of your driveway more than 4-5 times a day.
Finally there is the issue of snow/ice removal in the winter time. The product manufactures say that you can snow blow and shovel a grass driveway just as you would an asphalt driveway. I some how doubt that you will get the same results without damaging the grass underneath.
*Note – Some cities and states do not allow grass driveways to be built in residential areas. Call your local town office to find out if they are permitted in your area.
Is Green The Way To Go?
I think that if you can afford to have a grass driveway installed and you don’t mind the extra maintenance then green is a good option for you. It really makes a statement, just don’t park your SUV on it 
With Spring quickly approching the number of homeowners that will be scammed by fake driveway sealing companies this year will be huge.
As a former driveway sealer I know about some of the scams that these con artists like to pull. I got to hear all about them when I went door to door asking people if they would like their driveways sealed.
Most slammed the door in my face while others took the time to tell me how the last person that came around offering to seal their driveway took their money and never finished the job. As you can imagine I had to work extra hard to win their business.
There are essentially 2 kinds of scams that the fraudulent driveway sealers would use.
Up Front Payment Scam
When someone offers to seal your driveway they usually don’t have the equipment with them at that moment. Some of the material required is heavy and not that easy to bring to every house on a street. So if you agree to have your driveway sealed, they are going to make an appointment with you. At that time they will ask for the money right away, usually cash is requested and they might offer a cash discount if you do. (Most professional sealers will not offer cash discounts, only mulitple driveway discounts or something like that)
Just as you might suspect, the “Driveway Sealer” doesn’t show up and you are out the cash.
Motor Oil Sealant
This one is less common but is used in a lot of residential areas. Basically the person or company sealing your driveway uses used motor oil instead of the proper professional grade sealant. This is applied either using a sprayer or rolled on and looks pretty good at first. Until it rains at least, then most of it washes away. Leaving your driveway in a mess with patchy areas and oil stains everywhere. It can even stain your sidewalk and curbs.
Protecting Against Driveway Scams
Your best defense against these types of scams is to stick with a repuitable company that is well trusted. In my area The Driveway Guys are one such company that has earned a great reputation by doing a quality job at a resonable price. You can visit them at Drivewayguys.ca
If you insist on having your driveway sealed by a smaller or lesser known sealer make sure that you do not pay until the job is complete and always pay by cheque. It is at least somewhat traceable if you do get ripped off.
Driveway alarms systems are becoming more and more popular these days. They are being used by homeowners in the suburbs, people living in rural areas as well as a variety of businesses in and around major city centers.
There are a few different types of driveway alarms. The most recent advancements have been made using wireless driveway alarms. According to certain manufacturers these alarms can have a distance range of up to 3000 feet. This is perfect people with long driveways, homeowners with large yards and are great for farmers.
Driveway Security
You might have a few different reasons for wanting or needing a wireless driveway alarm. Some of the most common ones would be having a driveway alarm or monitor as part of your overall home security strategy. You can use them in addition to motion senor lights and closed circuit video monitoring systems.
Once you have your wireless driveway alarm installed you will be notified instantly when someone is coming up your driveway. This is important especially at night and can give you some extra time to react to an unpleasant situation. (i.e home invasion).
Most systems have some accessories available for them like “dialers” that will call you once the alarm has been set off.
What To Look For in a Wireless Driveway Alarm System
In order to select the proper driveway alarm system you are going to need to assess your needs by asking a few questions.
How big is your property?
Do you want to detect people or vehicles or both?
Do you want a mobile monitor or just a stationary one?
Are there a lot of trees or hills near by? (this can interfere with the wireless signal)
How much are you willing to spend?
There are 3 things that you wireless driveway system should have:
1. A minimum range of 400 feet
2. An audible chime as well as a visual signal to notify you that the alarm has been set off.
3. Minimum 1 year warranty. These systems are outdoors and are battered by the elements. They should be able to hold in all 4 seasons.
Weather you are looking to get a wireless driveway alarm for security reasons or just to be notified of visitors (welcomed or not) following the above guidelines will ensure you get the right system for your needs.
The best time to have your driveway sealed depends on a few factors. Temperature and climate as well as the age of the driveway and the length of time since the last time it was sealed are all things to consider.
Temperature and Climate
The current industry standard is any time when the temperature is consistently above 50 degrees Fahrenheit or 10 degrees Celsius for at least 24 to 48 hours. Other wise the sealant might not bond with the asphalt properly.
For many areas of the US and Canada that means you can only have your driveway sealed from May to October. The southern states and some western areas may be able to have it done year round.
Most companies and sealant manufacturers do not recommend having your driveway sealed if there is rain in the forecast for the next 36-48 hours. This should allow enough time for the sealant to dry and adhere to the asphalt.
How often should you have your driveway sealed?
Technically you could have your driveway sealed every year if you wanted to. Although most of the time it isn’t really needed that often. There is some debate on just how often your driveway should be sealed.
At the time of this article the standard amount of time is every 3 years. Keep in mind that this all depends on the condition of the driveway itself. A well maintained driveway with little use could last 5-10 years before needing to be resealed again. An older driveway with higher traffic could need resealing every 2 years or less.
A good rule of thumb is to look at the length of the sealant manufactures warranty and have it resealed just before the warranty expires.
New Asphalt Driveways
Freshly laid asphalt driveways need time to cure and harden properly. It’s recommended that you wait at least 6 months before applying any seal coating products to your new driveway.
How Much Does It Cost To Have Your Driveway Sealed?
The truth is that there is no standard rate for having your driveway sealed. It all depends on the size of your driveway and weather or not you are going to seal your driveway yourself.
Most driveway sealing companies charge by the square foot. So your first step should be to measure your driveway and get the total sq footage. Simply multiply the width of your driveway by its length. Example: a driveway 12 feet wide by 25 feet long would be 300 total sq feet.
The price per square foot ranges from .10 to.16 cents across the US and Canada. This varies by company and by climate.
So using the average of .14 cent per square foot on our 300 sq foot driveway, your total cost would be $42 plus taxes.
What services are included?
Something to keep in mind are the types of services included when getting a company to seal your driveway. A good quality sealing company will include the following services in the price per sq foot.
- Crack Filling
- Seal Coating
- Fixing Minor holes
- Priming Oil Spots
- Cleaning, either sweeping or using a leaf blower
- Roping off the driveway and sideway areas
Some companies will include edging and trimming services while others will require that you have it done before they arrive.
Sealing Your Driveway Yourself
In order to seal your driveway yourself there are a few things you need to purchase unless you already own them. They are:
- Driveway Sealant (at least 1 pail)
- Crack filler
- Squeegee or roller
- Oil spot primer (if needed)
- Pot hole filler (if needed)
- Stakes and string to rope off the driveway
Using our example of the 300 sq foot driveway assuming that you have the equipment already (chisel, chalking gun, putty knife, roller etc..) you would need 1 pail of good quality driveway sealant roughly $25 some crack filler $10 depending on the size of the cracks and a bag of pothole filler for $14.
Total Costs
Roughly $49 to do it yourself versus $42 to have a company seal it for you. While you might getting some pride by doing it yourself it is important to consider the cost and time savings by having it sealed professionally.
Make sure you get a few quotes and compare the sealing companies prices and services before signing anything.
*Please note that these are rough estimates only, call your local driveway sealing company for a proper estimate.
Driveway cracks are a common occurrence and can lead to superficial as well as structural damage. So it is important to have those driveway cracks filled as soon as possible.
The first thing you are going to need to is clean the driveway crack thoroughly.
Using a chisel or screwdriver and a hammer you can remove small pieces of asphalt or scrap out any loose debris from the driveway crack. You can also use the chisel to remove any weeds, grass or small plants that may have started to grow in the crack.
Next using a broom you are going to sweep out the smaller material like sand, pebbles, rock salt and any loose asphalt left behind.
Finally using a garden hose or a power washer, spray the inside of the driveway crack to remove any left over material. Allow to dry before applying any filling products.
Filling Cracks ¼ inch or Smaller
For cracks up to ¼ inch wide you can use a chalk cartridge style filler as shown (left). These are easily applied using a chalking gun.
Most of the liquid crack fillers will shrink as the water inside them starts to evaporate. So you have 2 options here. You can first fill the driveway crack level and wait for it to sink and dry, then reapply or you can overfill the crack slightly so that it sinks and dries level.
In either case you are going to want to spread the top of the filler using a putty knife over the edges of the crack. This will give it a nice smooth appearance as well as help to keep the water out.
Filling Cracks up to 1/2 Inch
For these wider cracks you have to use pour able liquid crack filler. These usually come in one gallon jugs (3.7 liters) and are known as “cold pour” crack fillers.
To apply simply pour the filler into the crack and smooth the edges using a putty knife. The compound should be dry in a few hours.
It’s important to note that for deeper cracks you may need to pre fill the crack with coarse sand in order to provide a more stable base for the filler to adhere to.
For Cracks Larger than ½ Inch
Unfortunately most liquid crack fillers won’t adequately fix the problem and you are left with 2 choices. If the crack is really wide you may have to cut out the affected area and lay new asphalt down.
In most cases you can fix the crack using a cold patch compound. These are available in either bags or buckets. Simply spread the compound into the crack using a small shovel or your putty knife until the crack is completely filled.
You will need to tamp the compound firmly until it is flat and level. You can use a 4 x4 post, a metal tamper of even your car tires to do this.
Learn how to fix driveway potholes at: Fixing Potholes In Your Driveway
This is an important question as you can save a considerable amount of money by sealing your driveway yourself. But are you sacrificing quality in order to save money?
You can buy a pail of asphalt driveway sealer at your local hardware/big box building supply store ranging in price from $10 to $75 depending on the brand and quality of the product. You are also going to need a high quality roller or squeegee with a sturdy pole attached.
Some of the advantages to doing it yourself besides the financial savings are that you can save time by not having to wait for an appointment with a professional driveway sealing company.
As the summer months progress and sealing conditions are ideal these companies can get very busy. You can wait up to 2 weeks or more in some areas for someone to come service your driveway.
Consider This
Before you consider doing this project on your own you should be aware of a few things.
1. This can be a very messy process. Like painting you are required to mix the contents of these sealant products to ensure an even color and consistency, spillage is common.
2. These products are oil based and may stain your clothes as well as other surfaces (walkways, sidewalks etc..)
3. Applying the sealant unevenly will lead to uneven fading, darker patches will appear and detract from the overall look of the driveway over time. Uneven application can also leave areas unprotected and will defeat the whole purpose of sealing your driveway in the first place.
4. Read the label and the coverage area on the sealing products careful. Many products grossly underestimate the square footage that one pail will cover. It’s a good idea to add up to 10% to your total square footage needed.
If you’re still ready to seal your driveway yourself you are going to need to have it cleaned and prepared to ensure that you get the best quality finish possible.
Learn more about Crack Fillers and Driveway preparation