New Driveway? Save Thousands Right From the Start!

So you just had your new driveway installed... First off, congrats! It is one of the best investments you can ever make for your home and if it is installed and mantained properly it could last 30 years or more.

Now what?

Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance... Asphalt is not like concrete or pavers. It it much more porous and needs a bit more attention to keep it looking healthy. Usually, the paving company will recommend that you do not drive on it for about 1-2 weeks. This is simply because it needs to cool and cure enough for it to be able to bear the considerable weight of your vehicle(s).

After 1-2 weeks, be aware that even though you can park on the new asphalt, you need to exercise caution when turning your wheels or the aggregate (stones) will ravel and be loosened leaving tire marks that will blemish the surface. One way to avoid this is by making sure that the vehicle is moving while you are turning the wheel, especially on hot days!

After about a month, your driveway is mostly cured. SealTECH recommends that you seal the driveway during this time frame. (30-60 days)

"But the paving guy told me I had to wait at least one year before I have it sealed. Why?"

Simply put, A lot can happen to your driveway in a year. Oil spills, gas spills, and even standing water can do a number on new driveways. The reason that you are told to wait one year is simply because the driveway needs to cure completely and the sealant (usually latex-based) that most of the paving and sealing companies use will prevent the driveway from 'breathing' since it smothers the asphalt by getting applied too thick.

Acrylic is one of the few sealants that can be applied this early in the curing process since it will allow the new asphalt to breathe while preventing the permeation of water into the porous surface of the driveway.

If you seal your driveway in this time frame, you will prevent it from ever fading to a gray color, protecting the original binder and added years to the life of your new asphalt.

The bottom line:

You can save thousands of dollars in the long run by not having to pave your driveway every 15 years or so. That's money in your pocket!

End of Season Rush!

As the autumn leaves start to fall many of us will come to realize that our driveways are in need of some protection to weather the winter months ahead.

As homeowners, most of us tend to be the procrastinator-type, waiting until the very last minute to do projects around the house. Unfortunately the weather plays a role in preventing us from accomplishing some of those projects and that is where using a professional can take some of the burden off from you shoulders.

Sealing a driveway is one of those chores that seems to take the back seat and it is seldom a fun activity. Between lifting and transporting multiple buckets, to mixing the material and even splattering it all over your home, one might ask: Why am I doing this when I could be calling a pro?

It's always a great idea to go with a professional but the common misconception is that it isn't without the bigger price tag. Let's see if this is true: Suppose your 3000 square foot brand-new driveway calls for 12 buckets of goop.(Thats if your good.) At $30 per bucket you are looking at $360 just in material let alone the 2 days in labor it will take you to seal yourself. Not exactly your cup of tea huh?

Imagine you hired a professional who used Acrylic instead of the buckets and you were pleasantly surprised that it would only cost you 50 or so dollars more but on top of this, you find out that it would only take 2 hours to seal, another hour to dry, has absolutely no odor once dry and it looks like a brand-new driveway instead of a new driveway that just got squeegeed.

To this end we would strongly agree that if you do have a new driveway that has not yet been sealed, think about the consequences before you go down the slippery slope of Latex misery. Do your own research. Find out the truth about the buckets. Then make a well educated buying decision. After all, your driveway is an investment that can last 30 years or more, as long as it is cared for with the proper treatment.

If you have any questions at all related to this topic, you can contact us online at www.sealtechsealcoating.com or give us a call at (845)454-6511.

Real Estate Agents: It's all about curb appeal.

Let's face it. This housing market is tough. Luckily there is an arsenal of low cost improvements that real estate agents and homeowners alike can do to add that extra touch to any property to get it noticed and hopefully SOLD.
Landscaping is the single most effective way to get prospective home buyers to look at a property. Most of the time however there is a key to the puzzle that is often overlooked: The driveway.

A real estate agent and longtime friend of mine was sitting on a home that had been on the market since last fall. It was in a great neighborhood, had beautiful landscaping, and had lots of extras but it just wasn't getting the traffic she wanted. I asked her how old the driveway was and without hesitation she told me it was paved just last year.

Immediately I asked her, "Is it gray in color?"

"Yes" she said, "But it's in great shape though!"

I told her that regardless of the condition of the asphalt, the lack of contrast with the landscaping was not capturing people's attention. I told her by simply sealing the driveway, the landscaping will come to life. The following week she sealed the driveway she immediately noticed a drastic upswing in the amount of visitors looking at the property and she received two offers that very day!

The truth is that most people are visual and when it comes to landscaping, a newly sealed driveway completes the total visual package. I'm not saying we can jump-start the economy by sealing driveways but it's a step in the right direction. If you yourself are selling a home or if you know someone who is, please pass along this information. I will also be happy to answer any questions you might have.

-Kraig with a 'K'

New Driveway Guru - SealTECH Sealcoating

Who's controlling this crazy weather anyway?

Let's face it. I'm not a meteorologist but one thing is for certain: The weather we have just experienced for nearly an entire month was something straight out of the global warming playbook. Is it us? Is it a natural progression of our planetary system? Is it the government? What ever it was it seems to have settled down a bit and that's good news for us!

While we were not protecting properties and beautifying homes during the Amazonian Deluge, we were diligently working and updating our ever-informative website, which means more education for you; The homeowner. We now have a frequently asked questions page to address many of the concerns associated with sealcoating in general. We also have introduced a new flowchart to determine if we are the best choice for your driveway's needs.

Since we're on the topic, let's discuss what we don't do: If you have sealed your driveway in the past by Latex or Coal Tar Emulsion and looking to re-seal it this year I would suggest sticking with the same material for two reasons:

1. Acrylic is engineered for unsealed driveways simply because it will naturally degrade over the course of two years and it will keep the texture of your new driveway, instead of leaving you with a flat surface prone to cracking. 2. It would not be cost-effective for you to use acrylic after using a different material. The reason for this is because Acrylic will not bond correctly to Latex or Coal Tar and it will exhibit faster wear characteristics.

We have also received quite a bit of calls for commercial sealcoating. Although we have sealed parking lots in the past, they have exhibited faster wear patterns than that of residential driveways. For high traffic applications such as parking lots and gas stations, Latex is the way to go.

If you have a specific question that is not covered on the website, feel free to give me, Kraig with a 'K' a call.

Hardscaping and How To Protect It

As homeowners we invest considerable time and money into improving and maintaining the appearance of our property. Hardscaping adds beauty, and elegance to even the most difficult properties to landscape. Sometimes stone walls, patios and walkways are adjacent to or come in contact with your asphalt driveway. This often poses a threat to your hardscaping in the event that you get your driveway sealed. The concern is usually: "The last thing I want is to see black stuff smeared all over my new stone wall!"

The fact is that very few driveway maintenance professionals will take adequate time to properly prep your driveway before it is sealed. During the estimate, ask them a couple of questions:

1. What material do you use?

The majority of professionals will use a latex-based sealant which tends to be better suited for commercial applications. If they are using a coal-tar based sealant be aware that it contains PAH's and is considered carcinogenic. Oil-based or "Liquid Asphalt" sealants are also used and tend to be least expensive sealing method and will leave your driveway looking shiny for several months. Acrylic exhibits the best properties of any other residential driveway sealant on the market. It's allergy friendly, dries in minutes, does not smell when it dries, does not track and it can be applied 30 days after a driveway is paved. Acrylic should not be used for heavy traffic applications or driveways that have been sealed more than twice by latex-based sealants.

2. How do you apply it?

Application method is one of the most important factors to consider when sealing your driveway.

Squeegee - OK for parking lots. Bad for driveways. Product is applied too thick which leads to a condition call alligatoring. Also takes a long time to dry.
Brush - Similar to squeegee but also leaves irregular patterns and brush marks.
Spray - The absolute best application method for any material...As long as it is done correctly. Be sure to ask if they take the time to mask off all hardscaping to eliminate over-spray.

For answers to any other questions or concerns you may have about protecting your hardscaping and driveway maintenance feel free to drop me a line at: kraig@sealtechsealcoating.com

From the desk of SealTECH

Each summer, millions of homeowners flock like geese to their local home improvement store to lug back numerous 5-gallon buckets of "premium" latex driveway sealant. Unbeknownst to them they have just set their newly paved driveway up for certain disaster...

First off, in order to understand why it's not a very good idea to use any latex-based product to seal your driveway, we must look at an example:

Pretend for a minute that you have just sealed your new driveway with the buckets. After wiping the excess sweat from your brow, you step back and gloat in accomplishment for a job well done.

After several months pass though you start to see tiny cracks at the surface of your driveway that seem to be forming a pattern. You know that the best way to fill all those cracks would be to seal your driveway again in the spring.

To your chagrin however, the cracks have gotten even bigger. You ask to yourself: "Why me? What have I done to my driveway!"

The story you have just heard is all too familiar and it is a result of mis-education by the entire paving industry. To understand fully about why this occurs, me must look at the physics. Boring yes but equally important!

The cracks that are forming are a direct result of the expansion and contraction of the latex sealant on the driveway. As the latex loses it's elasticity, it separates causing little "islands" of sealant that is commonly know as alligatoring.

The alligatoring condition will actually speed up the destruction of asphalt by "channeling" water into the cracks. During the winter, the water will also expand and then contract spreading the cracks further open.

Is this one big asphalt conspiracy? Will we ever know the truth about the buckets?

It is my sole duty to bring awareness to all homeowners about the danger of latex abuse, for the sake of us all, and for our driveways.

-Kraig

Owner - SealTECH Sealcoating

SealTECH is back from hibernation!

Hey everybody, Kraig from SealTECH here. I hope you all had a great winter! I'm confident to say I'm glad it's finally over.

This season is shaping up to be our biggest yet! With so many people finding out about new environmental alternatives out there, it's no secret why SealTECH keeps coming up in conversations. We are currently filling our Spring schedule and it looks like mid-April will be our official start to our 6th season!

When you get a chance, be sure to take a good look at your driveway. If you had it paved last year, now is the perfect time to consider sealing it to protect it from the harsh summer months.

Did you know that the Sun's UV rays can do a number on asphalt? Interestingly enough, UV radiation can cause the binder-that's the "glue" that holds your driveway together-to become brittle and cause further deterioration to the asphalt. Sealing your driveway now can actually help block most of the UV radiation and extend the life of your driveway considerably!

If you think you might need your driveway sealed this Spring or you just need a second opinion, be sure to give us a call and we'd be happy to set up a free driveway consultation to better educate you about the benefits of Acrylic driveway sealing!

Below is our Spring coupon flyer. Be sure to print it to take advantage of the savings that SealTECH has to offer!