Asphalt Sealers

To protect your asphalt driveway from the harsh effects of water, ice and the sun’s ultraviolet rays, you’ll want to apply an asphalt sealer every three years or so. A boost to the look of your driveway or parking lot area, the application of an asphalt sealer will slow the deterioration of your asphalt, which left to the elements will crumble over time.  And while asphalt sealers that are available to the general public as opposed to pavement installers is usually not as good, any asphalt sealer will ultimately add to the life of your asphalt driveway—not to mention that you can save up to 65% of the cost of a professional asphalt sealant by doing the maintenance yourself.

Advantages of Asphalt Sealers

Most asphalt sealants are water-based emulsions that contain water, clay fillers, latex, polymers, additives and coal tar (a coal baking byproduct) or asphalt (a petroleum refining byproduct, with some asphalt sealers containing coal tar.  And while coal tar products are popular, they are being replaced by asphalt sealers as the use of additives and polymers has greatly increased the durability of the sealant and increased the sealant’s resistance to oil and gas. With a better smell, less skin irritation, less emission of high levels of volatile organic compounds, and a contribution to better air quality, asphalt sealers are gaining popularity among trades man and do-it-yourselfers. 

By comparing the formulas used to make a particular asphalt sealer, you can pick just the right asphalt sealer for your project.  Available in plain or filler-sealer formulas, asphalt sealers usually contain sand and other solid fillers for the filling of cracks and holes in your asphalt products. And, in general the more solids an asphalt sealer contains (asphalt, coal tar, polymers, etc.) the better the asphalt sealer is and the more expensive it will be as well. So look for asphalt sealers with a lot of solids to assure that you buy a good grade asphalt sealer. Look for asphalt sealers that have the greatest amount of solids left on the asphalt after the liquids of your asphalt sealer have evaporated and cured.

How to Determine the Quality of Asphalt Sealers

As most manufacturers of asphalt sealers keep their formulas proprietary, you can usually determine the quality of a particular asphalt sealer by the length of the warranty offered with the product.  The best-grade asphalt sealers have a five to six-year warranty, with the better grade asphalt sealers having a three or four-year warranty.  A statistic usually clearly displayed on the label of your asphalt sealant, the warranty is a great clue to the quality of any asphalt sealer you wish to purchase.

Not generally available to ordinary home repair enthusiasts, a fourth type of asphalt sealer has recently entered the marketplace and is described as airport-, racetrack- or pavement-grade asphalt sealer.  Made from durable acrylic polymers and available with a 10-year warranty, this asphalt sealer lasts much longer than other formulas. And, most professional asphalt driveway installers will tell you that Henry and DynoSeal are some of the highest grade of asphalt sealers on the market.