If your driveway is like most Australian driveways then it’s probably made out of asphalt, which means that every four or five years you are going to need to seal it. While many people might opt for the pay someone else to do it motion, it can save you a lot of money to do it yourself, plus it isn’t actually that hard. As long as you are willing to put in a little work, you could have job done in a couple of days for less than $200. If you think about driveway cost over a period of years, rather than just when it needs repair or resealing then you will realize just how much an asphalt driveway costs to maintain, and you will realize that it will be a lot of money saved if you learn to at least reseal it yourself.
Step One
Asphalt is actually a petroleum based mixture, which means it has a lot of elasticity to it. However over time this elasticity wears out. The oils from the petroleum oxidize and lose moisture and this makes the asphalt brittle. You can tell this has happened by the colouring. If your asphalt is going a light grey colour then it needs to have a sealant put on it. This is the first step, realizing you have a job to do.
Step Two
Only ever consider resealing your asphalt in warm dry weather. If the asphalt is wet before you put the sealant down, it will not dry properly. Meaning you will have an unusable driveway.
Step Three
Wash your driveways down. Dirt on your driveway can act against the sealant, making it useless so you need to make sure it is clean, however as stated in the last step you need to leave it to dry.
Step Four
When you first open the sealant make sure that you mix it well. All the sealant needs to be mixed together for you to get the best coat you can from it. Don’t stop mixing the sealant while you are painting the asphalt either. It will need a near constant stir to stop it from settling. Visit www.xlasphaltmelbourne.com.au for more guidance.
Step Five
Don’t put it all on at once. You are instead better doing the sealant in two thin coats, allowing each to dry before adding another. This will make sure you get the best coat possible on your driveways. The first layer might take 24 hours to dry, if it does then let it, you won’t get a very good finish unless you are patient.
Step Six
Once you have put on the second coat, you again need to leave it to dry. Don’t try to park your car on it for at least 24 hours, as the asphalt will be soft. Any pressure left on it for too long will start to mark it, meaning you might have to get a contractor out to smooth out the surface. It’s worth parking your car out on the street for one night to avoid that. Don’t forget while asphalt might be cheap, it more than makes up for it in the price of maintaining and repairing it.