What Is Sealcoating?

8 Great Reasons to Call Depew for Sealcoating Services

You work hard to make sure your home or business looks good from the street: investing in plantings, an attractive entrance, a power wash in the spring. A cracked and discolored driveway or parking area detracts from your curb appeal—and your property value. While repairing or replacing asphalt is expensive, sealcoating will improve the appearance and protect the surface.

So, What Is Sealcoating?

Sealcoating provides protection from wear-and-tear as well as the damaging effects of extreme temperatures and the elements. Freezing, thawing and ultraviolet oxidation caused by the sun leads to cracks. Cracks result in deterioration of the surface, and if left unchecked, the subgrade will deteriorate, leading to larger—and costly—problems. Sealcoating is a thin coat of asphalt that fills those cracks and renews and protects the surface—kind of like sunblock.

What’s the Difference Between Sealcoating and Resurfacing?

If sealcoating is like applying sunscreen to protect your skin, resurfacing is like getting a full facelift (because you didn’t use sunscreen). Resurfacing is essentially replacing your driveway without doing the initial excavation: the asphalt is completely removed and reapplied. You should really only need to resurface if your driveway was poorly installed in the first place, or never maintained.

Here’s why regular sealcoating is worth the investment.

1. It’s a fraction of the cost of repairing or replacing asphalt—which becomes necessary if cracks are allowed to get too big.
2. By sealing small cracks, it prevents them from becoming bigger.
3. Sealcoating can potentially more than double the life of asphalt pavement.
4. Improve the appearance of your home and increase property value.
5. A smooth finish is easier to sweep, wash, and shovel.
6. It restores the rich, black color.
7. Seal out water—which leads to small flaws and then cracks as it freezes and thaws.
8. Prevents damage from oil and gas drips and spills.

Depending on how much traffic your driveway or parking lot sees, sealcoating is recommended every two to five years—so for a lot of folks, you may be more than ready.

When To Sealcoat Your Driveway

Spring is the perfect time to sealcoat your asphalt surfaces and get them looking like new. The sealant requires temperatures over 50 to cure properly. And most driveway projects only take about 48 hours, including drying time.

The pros at Depew will do a thorough inspection of your driveway or parking lot and provide a detailed proposal and estimate. When you’re ready, we’ll obtain necessary permits, provide insurance and waivers and schedule a convenient start date. We only use top-quality material working in an efficient and neat manner.

Ready to learn more? Find out why Depew Energy is the go-to company in the Hudson Valley region for professional sealcoating of both residential driveways as well as commercial parking lots. Contact us for a free estimate today.