Unlike concrete driveways, asphalt driveways require occasional maintenance. As a the leading driveway sealcoating company in San Jose we can help with preserving and protecting your driveway. That being said, there are a few notable signs that indicate it’s time to seal coat your driveway paving:
The team here at EARTHTEK takes great care to provide excellence in customer service and completed projects. Because of this, we only work with high-quality materials and take steps to work within your schedule. Regarding customer service, we’ve been told time and again that we stand above the rest in a number of situations, including:
A driveway that doesn’t undergo sealcoating can drastically drop the lifespan of the asphalt. The In fact, if you never sealcoat, you can see the life of your driveway drop from around 30 years to a mere 10. While we enjoy milder weather in San Jose, your asphalt still takes a beating, which can cause your driveway to fail prematurely. This starts with oxidation of the top layer, leading to a dry, brittle surface. That inevitably leads to those aforementioned cracks as well as noticeable gravel, chipped rocks, and other aggregate materials coming loose.
Over time, the asphalt breaks down without sealcoating because water works its way through cracks in the aging asphalt into the base. Once water has worked its way into your driveway’s base layers, those lower materials can shift and settle in unpredictable ways. That causes much larger cracks and can potentially lead to potholes in your asphalt and/or an unsightly “alligator cracking” appearance. If you allow your driveway paving to get to this point, fully replacement (very costly) is you only option.
Going beyond protecting your asphalt driveway on a physical level, sealcoating will also improve the overall look of your home to bring up both the curb appeal. In turn, our services can have a positive impact on your home’s potential resale value.
There are a number of questions that we’ve been asked about driveway sealcoating over the years, and the most frequent of them follow:
For driveways that have been previously sealed, you should sealcoat your asphalt driveway every 3 years. However, this frequency is fully dependent on how much vehicle traffic makes its way onto your driveway.
Newly-installed asphalt driveways need a period of between 6 and 12 months before it receives its first sealcoating. This time lets the asphalt fully cure as well as allows oils and substances from the initial installation to separate and wash away. Getting a sealcoat too early can trap those substances in your asphalt, which may lead to issues down the road.
With regular maintenance, the sealcoating process will usually take one day. Depending on the severity of the wear and tear that your driveway has sustained, sealcoating your driveway can require two days of work.
Once the final layer of sealcoat has been spread, you can reasonably expect to be able to drive on it within 24-48 hours. You can walk on it as early as 8-12 hours after being laid. Please note that this time depends on the outside temperature, amount of sunlight, and the humidity.
No, we don’t use coal tar sealants, nor should you work with any contractor who does, because they are illegal in San Jose as well as across California. Not only has coal tar sealant been shown through numerous studies that it’s terrible for the environment, but it’s a terrible toxin for people to breathe in when working with it.
There are a few things that separate EARTHTEK from the rest:
As the leading paving company in San Jose, there are a few things that make us stand out. We’re dedicated to making sure your asphalt driveway looks better than ever before. We look forward to partnering with you on your project and we’re ready to start when you are.