Driveway Sealcoating in Waterbury, CT

Driveway sealcoating puts a thin liquid coating over cured asphalt. It is the most searched paving service in Waterbury, and it is often the best money a homeowner can spend on an existing driveway. Asphalt is stones held together by a petroleum binder. Sun dries that binder out, salt and oil break it down, and water gets into the gaps. A sealcoat takes that wear instead of the asphalt underneath.

What it will and will not fix

Sealing protects sound asphalt and restores a uniform dark color. It does not repair potholes, sunken areas or broken edges, and it does not fill cracks wider than a hairline. Those get sealed or patched first. On a driveway that is breaking up, sealing is wasted money, and we will say so.

Timing in Connecticut

HomeGuide recommends waiting three to six months after new paving before sealing, then resealing every two to ten years depending on the product and conditions. Sealer needs dry weather between about 50 and 95 degrees and time to cure, so in the Naugatuck Valley the season runs from late spring into early fall. Late summer is ideal: the driveway goes into winter with fresh protection.

Preparation

• Edges trimmed and overgrowth cut back
• Surface blown and swept; washed if needed
• Oil and fluid spots primed
• Cracks cleaned and sealed with hot rubberized sealant
• Small failed spots patched ahead of time

Preparation is most of the labor and decides how long the coat lasts.

Application

We apply two thin coats, letting the first dry before the second. Two thin coats wear better than one thick one. On steep driveways we take extra care at the top and bottom where tires turn and brake. HomeGuide lists 12 to 72 hours before driving, depending on temperature, humidity and shade. Shaded hillside driveways take longer.

Winter and salt

Road salt carried up the driveway on tires and dumped by plows sits in low spots all winter. A sealed surface resists that much better than bare, oxidized asphalt. Shovel and plow with care on fresh sealer the first winter, and avoid stacking salty snow on the same edge.

Sealing steep and shaded driveways

Shaded hillside driveways dry slowly and stay cool, so sealer takes longer to cure. We schedule those on warm, sunny days and allow extra time before you drive on them. On steep grades, tires braking and turning at the top and bottom wear the coating fastest, so we pay extra attention to coverage there.