Asphalt driveways take a serious beating from the elements. Without proper upkeep, your driveway will fade and deteriorate from its exposure to sun, freeze and thaw cycles, and exposure to chemicals. Filling in holes and cracks and seal-coating it will help to prolong the life of your asphalt driveway.
Before you can crack open your pail of driveway sealer, you need to watch the weather forecast and plan accordingly. The sealer should not be applied if the night time temperatures will fall below 50°F or if rain is predicted within 24 hours of application. Irreparable damage to the curing film may result. Best results are achieved with temperatures of 70°F to 90°F during application. Cooler temperatures and/or high humidity may lengthen the overall cure time. To optimize drying during daylight hours, it is helpful to apply the sealer early in the day.
Each 5 gallon pail will cover approximately 350–450 square feet. Please note that if you get too much coverage, you are applying too thinly; conversely, too little coverage may mean you applied too thick, unless your surface is very rough or very porous.
Always buy more sealer than you need, for a few important reasons:
1. If you run short and need to stop to get more, the sealer already applied will cure and there will be a visible line where you stopped to get more sealer.
2. The application temperature and other conditions will be different when you re-start, creating another “change” in the appearance of the sealer.
3. If you stop to buy more, you risk getting product from different batches or different brands than you started with.
Finally, seal-coating is definitely a dirty job, so wear footwear and clothing that you won’t weep over after having to toss out.