Got Questions About Our Seal Coating Services? We’ve Got Answers!

Please allow at least 24 hours of drying time before you drive on your newly sealed driveway.  The driveway/ parking lot may feel dry to the touch and can be walked on before 24 hours is up, but the seal coat and crack filler needs additional time to cure for heavy vehicle traffic.  

• For residential:  We recommend every three to five years with a quality product.
• For commercial:  We recommend every three years, depending on the amount of traffic.  

Our Minnesota winters will also determine the life of your seal coat.  If we have a snowy winter and your asphalt is plowed aggressively it may scrape off some of the protective seal coat layer. 

No, seal coating will cover and add a layer of sealant protection to your hairline cracks, but you may still see some of them.  The larger cracks that need additional attention will need to be ground out and filled with a hot crack filler product.  

There are benefits to sealing in both the spring and the fall.

• Spring: The wetter conditions in the spring season make it more challenging to schedule your project.  However, you will have time all summer to enjoy the newly sealed appearance of your driveway.
• Summer: Too hot of temperatures can be an issue by causing the seal coat to dry too quickly.  High humidity can extend the drying and curing time out past 24 hours.
• Fall: Getting the seal coat protection on before winter is a great way to prevent your driveway/ parking lot from having the winter moisture sit in the small unseen crevices.  When the moisture sits in the crevices and small hairline cracks, it freezes and thaws all winter causing your asphalt cracks to become visible and worsens the already visible issues.  

YES!  Spraying the weeds kills the roots and stops the cracks from expanding because of the weed growth.  By spraying and killing the roots of the noxious weeds the crack filler will be more effective.

YES!  It is preferred that the sprinklers be turned off three days prior to seal coating.  This time period gives the cracks and asphalt time to dry out.  Dry cracks and asphalt improve the adhesion of the crack filler and seal coat.

It is best to have the lawn care company come a day early or two days after the seal coating is complete.  We do not want to have grass clippings stuck to the new seal coat, nor do you want lawn tractor marks on the seal coat.  

YES!  If your pet does walk on the wet seal coat, you will have paw prints on your driveway/ parking lot.  DO NOT let the pet in your home until you are certain the seal coat on their paws is dry.  If the seal coat is wet, you will have black paw tracks in your home.  The seal coat is extremely difficult to remove from the flooring.

NO!  Although seal coating does give the appearance of a new refreshed black driveway/ parking lot.  Seal coating protects your asphalt from snow, winter salt, oils, and water intrusion which increases the longevity, and bonds the asphalt together.

• If you patch it before seal coating:  New asphalt has more oils in it than old asphalt, therefore the newly applied seal coat will not adhere as well to the pothole patch. 
• Patching after seal coating:  After the driveway/ parking lot is cleaned and sealed, the visibility of the areas that need to be patched and repaired is improved. 

Our northern climate’s freeze and thaw cycles causes the ground to always be moving and shifting. When the earth is shifting, sometimes the crack repair product’s elasticity is stretched beyond its potential.  The larger the crack, the harder they are to fill, and it may take a few times to get them under control.  A wide range of products and quality determine the outcome of the crack repair.

No, like our public road repairs, only the major cracks are repaired with a hot crack filler.  It is the large cracks that are the most detrimental to your asphalt.  With that being said, we do fill the smaller cracks that we feel are of structural concern.  

There are many different products in the seal coating industry formulas that will give each variety of seal coat its own blue or black appearance.  Some products have more black “paint” in their formula to increase the black appearance, and some have more clay, sand, and other fillers that improve durability.  For example, some seal coating products will change shades as it dries and cures.

The majority of the time, the seal coat will only discolor the grass.  After mowing once or twice, the black-tipped grass will be cut off, and your grass will be green and healthy.

Yes!  If you seal coat too often or apply seal coat too thick it will build up and flake off. Too thick of seal coat or applying seal coat too often can create alligator cracking with fine cracks that are visible yet not detrimental. Seal coat needs time to wear off so that the new seal coating will have the dry asphalt to adhere to.  

The seal coating product that we apply is of commercial grade.  Seal coating products purchased at home improvement stores are mostly residential grade. Most seal coating products purchased at home improvement stores still need to be applied correctly for the product to adhere and properly seal your asphalt.  Also, depending on the size of your driveway – that could really add up to a LOT of pails.  For a small driveway it may be more cost effective to seal coat the driveway yourself compared to hiring a commercial seal coating company.