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#1
Posted to misc.consumers.house,alt.home.repair
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Do driveway sealers really do anything?
I'm sure this has been debated before......
I have an aging asphalt (black top) driveway and I am thinking of coating it with driveway sealer (whether by myself or hire someone to do it). Does this really do anything for the driveway other than make it look cosmetically more appealing and perhaps fill in any small/minor cracks? It would seem that this would only be more cosmetic than anything else. The need would arise maybe 2-3 years down the road to do it again, or have the driveway repaved. The brands/types I've seen appear to all be basically the same, lasting anywhere from 2 to 5 years. Some have a sand mix supposedly helping the dried surface be a bit more coarse an making the surface not as slipper on rain/snow for tracktion. And why are they all called 'airport grade'? Thoughts? Thanks, Wally |
#2
Posted to misc.consumers.house,alt.home.repair
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Do driveway sealers really do anything?
"Walter Cohen" wrote:
I have an aging asphalt (black top) driveway and I am thinking of coating it with driveway sealer (whether by myself or hire someone to do it). Does this really do anything for the driveway other than make it look cosmetically more appealing and perhaps fill in any small/minor cracks? It would seem that this would only be more cosmetic than anything else. The need would arise maybe 2-3 years down the road to do it again, or have the driveway repaved. I suspect it depends on the climate where you live and the type of undersurface. If the temps drop below freezing, then recoating the drive will keep water from getting in the cracks and freezing, thus extending the life of the driveway somewhat. If you live in a warm climate, or the asphalt is laid over a porous surface, then it probably won't do much. Most of the cracks I've seen appear to be due to settling or movement of the undersurface. Sealing won't do anything about those... |
#3
Posted to misc.consumers.house,alt.home.repair
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Do driveway sealers really do anything?
Well you could always just let it go and if you are in a climate that has
freeze and thaw periods you can see if water seeps under and disturbs your asphalt during these F&T periods. If it does you will know better next time around that it is not just cosmetic. "Walter Cohen" wrote in message ... I'm sure this has been debated before...... I have an aging asphalt (black top) driveway and I am thinking of coating it with driveway sealer (whether by myself or hire someone to do it). Does this really do anything for the driveway other than make it look cosmetically more appealing and perhaps fill in any small/minor cracks? It would seem that this would only be more cosmetic than anything else. The need would arise maybe 2-3 years down the road to do it again, or have the driveway repaved. The brands/types I've seen appear to all be basically the same, lasting anywhere from 2 to 5 years. Some have a sand mix supposedly helping the dried surface be a bit more coarse an making the surface not as slipper on rain/snow for tracktion. And why are they all called 'airport grade'? Thoughts? Thanks, Wally |
#4
Posted to alt.home.repair
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Do driveway sealers really do anything?
the water bases sealers really just color the drive. there is still
an old guy here that tars drives with hot tar.. not that is a seal.. lucas http://www.minibite.com/america/malone.htm |
#5
Posted to misc.consumers.house,alt.home.repair
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Do driveway sealers really do anything?
My 400' driveway was put in (21 years ago in New England) with 12"
processed gravel and a fabric to keep the clay from not coming back up and mixing with the gravel and I never sealed the driveway.It looks horrible with cracks and the center being higher than where the wheels go. There is an underground stream that has helped mess up the driveway as well. When I put it in I knew to let it settle for a year before paving but didnt. I would not do it differently. but instead will have a new layer put on top some day.If I had a small driveway and wanted it to last as long as possible in a northern state and my time was cheap I would seal it. |
#6
Posted to misc.consumers.house,alt.home.repair
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Do driveway sealers really do anything?
"Walter Cohen" wrote in message ... I'm sure this has been debated before...... I have an aging asphalt (black top) driveway and I am thinking of coating it with driveway sealer (whether by myself or hire someone to do it). Does this really do anything for the driveway other than make it look cosmetically more appealing and perhaps fill in any small/minor cracks? IMO, it is a waste aside from appearance. Cracks should be filled, but other than that, I do nothing. My drive is 28 years old and I sealed it about 20 years ago, never did it again. It is in better shape than others that have been sealed on a regular basis. The difference was in the original paving. Mine was a better job than the houses another builder put up. I got lucky as I had nothing to do with it. |
#7
Posted to misc.consumers.house,alt.home.repair
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Do driveway sealers really do anything?
Transportation departments learned long ago that sealing the cracks in
asphalt pavements prolongs the life of the pavement. Years ago they used solvent based asphalt materials to seal the cracks but most have now switched to emulsified asphalt materials (the so-called water based asphalt sealers). Some use hot-applied asphalt. The emulsified asphalt isn't particularly better than solvent based but eliminates most of the solvents that evaporate to the atmosphere. Some use crack sealers that contain polymer modified asphalt to give the asphalt more elasticity to help prevent the cracks from reforming. Sand or sawdust is cast over the freshly place crack sealer to prevent tracking from foot or vehicle traffic. Without a good, stable base and sufficient asphalt pavement thickness, no amount of crack sealing is going to make up for the deficiency. Harry "Walter Cohen" wrote in message ... I'm sure this has been debated before...... I have an aging asphalt (black top) driveway and I am thinking of coating it with driveway sealer (whether by myself or hire someone to do it). Does this really do anything for the driveway other than make it look cosmetically more appealing and perhaps fill in any small/minor cracks? It would seem that this would only be more cosmetic than anything else. The need would arise maybe 2-3 years down the road to do it again, or have the driveway repaved. The brands/types I've seen appear to all be basically the same, lasting anywhere from 2 to 5 years. Some have a sand mix supposedly helping the dried surface be a bit more coarse an making the surface not as slipper on rain/snow for tracktion. And why are they all called 'airport grade'? Thoughts? Thanks, Wally |
#8
Posted to misc.consumers.house,alt.home.repair
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Do driveway sealers really do anything?
with a failing base topcoating is just a waste of money...
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#9
Posted to misc.consumers.house,alt.home.repair
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Do driveway sealers really do anything?
In article B0Fcg.958197$x96.218806@attbi_s72, HarryS says...
Transportation departments learned long ago that sealing the cracks in asphalt pavements prolongs the life of the pavement. Years ago they used solvent based asphalt materials to seal the cracks but most have now switched to emulsified asphalt materials (the so-called water based asphalt sealers). Some use hot-applied asphalt. The emulsified asphalt isn't particularly better than solvent based but eliminates most of the solvents that evaporate to the atmosphere. Some use crack sealers that contain polymer modified asphalt to give the asphalt more elasticity to help prevent the cracks from reforming. Sand or sawdust is cast over the freshly place crack sealer to prevent tracking from foot or vehicle traffic. Without a good, stable base and sufficient asphalt pavement thickness, no amount of crack sealing is going to make up for the deficiency. Harry Of course that's all true. As to periodic sealing, though, recall highway departments have the constraint of needing to accomodate traffic nearly constantly whatever they do (aside from a totally new road). So what they do or do not do may be quite different from what a homeowner does or does not do with his driveway. Banty -- |
#10
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Do driveway sealers really do anything?
Walter Cohen writes:
I'm sure this has been debated before. Yes, and the intelligent conclusion is that even if the coatings worked, they are horrifically expensive per pound of material applied, compared to new bulk asphalt. You're much better off saving your money and applying it to new asphalt when that day comes. So-called "sealers" are an expensive way to paint a few thousandths of an inch of asphalt on top of inches of asphalt. Now if you really, really like the look of a fresh paint job, then maybe it is worth the money and/or back-breaking effort on that basis, but the alleged durability claims would be a false economy, even if they weren't dubious. Take a look at what bulk asphalt typically costs your paving contractor: http://www.dot.state.fl.us/Construct...t/fuel&bit.htm Now compare that to what retailed sealers cost, which are mostly water and clay and sand, and relatively little actual asphaltum. |
#11
Posted to misc.consumers.house,alt.home.repair
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Do driveway sealers really do anything?
Banty writes:
As to periodic sealing, though, recall highway departments have the constraint of needing to accomodate traffic nearly constantly whatever they do (aside from a totally new road). So what they do or do not do may be quite different from what a homeowner does or does not do with his driveway. Traffic interruption is not a factor. They just know that benefits are minimal to non-existent, and costs are significant. Commercial parking lots are coated to keep them pretty, not make them last longer. All those oil stains don't impress the customers well. |
#12
Posted to misc.consumers.house,alt.home.repair
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Do driveway sealers really do anything?
In article , Richard J Kinch
says... Banty writes: As to periodic sealing, though, recall highway departments have the constraint of needing to accomodate traffic nearly constantly whatever they do (aside from a totally new road). So what they do or do not do may be quite different from what a homeowner does or does not do with his driveway. Traffic interruption is not a factor. They just know that benefits are minimal to non-existent, and costs are significant. Commercial parking lots are coated to keep them pretty, not make them last longer. All those oil stains don't impress the customers well. You're not in the northeast, are you. Banty -- |
#13
Posted to misc.consumers.house,alt.home.repair
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Do driveway sealers really do anything?
In article , Richard J Kinch
says... Walter Cohen writes: I'm sure this has been debated before. Yes, and the intelligent conclusion is that even if the coatings worked, they are horrifically expensive per pound of material applied, compared to new bulk asphalt. You're much better off saving your money and applying it to new asphalt when that day comes. So-called "sealers" are an expensive way to paint a few thousandths of an inch of asphalt on top of inches of asphalt. Now if you really, really like the look of a fresh paint job, then maybe it is worth the money and/or back-breaking effort on that basis, but the alleged durability claims would be a false economy, even if they weren't dubious. Take a look at what bulk asphalt typically costs your paving contractor: http://www.dot.state.fl.us/Construct...t/fuel&bit.htm Now compare that to what retailed sealers cost, which are mostly water and clay and sand, and relatively little actual asphaltum. OK, you have a materials comparison. Now, try hard - can you think of any other factors? Like pavers and other heavy equipment being brought to the scene? Compared to what a lot of homeowners are willing to do at the cost of an old pair of sneakers and enduring some heavy, smelly work? You seem to be on a campaign about this thing... Banty -- |
#14
Posted to misc.consumers.house,alt.home.repair
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Do driveway sealers really do anything?
On Tue, 23 May 2006 07:23:39 -0400, "Walter Cohen"
wrote: I'm sure this has been debated before...... I have an aging asphalt (black top) driveway and I am thinking of coating it with driveway sealer (whether by myself or hire someone to do it). Does this really do anything for the driveway other than make it look cosmetically more appealing and perhaps fill in any small/minor cracks? It would seem that this would only be more cosmetic than anything else. The need would arise maybe 2-3 years down the road to do it again, or have the driveway repaved. The brands/types I've seen appear to all be basically the same, lasting anywhere from 2 to 5 years. Some have a sand mix supposedly helping the dried surface be a bit more coarse an making the surface not as slipper on rain/snow for tracktion. And why are they all called 'airport grade'? That means you won't need snow tires or chains, like the airplanes do. Thoughts? Thanks, Wally |
#15
Posted to misc.consumers.house,alt.home.repair
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Do driveway sealers really do anything?
Banty writes:
Like pavers and other heavy equipment being brought to the scene? Compared to what a lot of homeowners are willing to do at the cost of an old pair of sneakers and enduring some heavy, smelly work? A homeowner with a bucket and broom is going to cost many times more than a paving crew, per pound of material applied. More evidence against the economy of "sealers". When I last had my driveway re-paved with hot mix, it cost me $60/ton. That's 3 cents per pound, delivered, applied, and finished. Spending your weekend breaking your back to buy, schlep, mix, pour, and spread a few buckets of "sealer" is thus worth less than $10 on a unit weight basis. That doesn't pay for the first retail bucket, much less your aching back. The homeowner and his muscles are no match for dump trucks and screeds. Don't waste your money on sealers. You seem to be on a campaign about this thing. I've been through it all, including dutifully putting on "sealer" in my younger homeowning days, because good advice was impossible to find. Now that we have the Internet, facts are readily available, and anyone can learn from this engineer's experience and analysis. |
#16
Posted to misc.consumers.house,alt.home.repair
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Do driveway sealers really do anything?
Had realtives cin naples florida that sealed driveway every other year.
Sun attacks asphalt down there sealed they las a lot longer Same thing for phoenix |
#17
Posted to misc.consumers.house,alt.home.repair
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Do driveway sealers really do anything?
wrote in message oups.com... Had realtives cin naples florida that sealed driveway every other year. Sun attacks asphalt down there sealed they las a lot longer Same thing for phoenix Fresh coat of sealer also makes it easier for teenage boys to leave long black stripes doing burnouts in their hot rods. aem sends... |
#18
Posted to misc.consumers.house,alt.home.repair
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Do driveway sealers really do anything?
In article , Mys Terry says...
On Wed, 24 May 2006 21:06:53 -0500, Richard J Kinch wrote: Banty writes: Like pavers and other heavy equipment being brought to the scene? Compared to what a lot of homeowners are willing to do at the cost of an old pair of sneakers and enduring some heavy, smelly work? A homeowner with a bucket and broom is going to cost many times more than a paving crew, per pound of material applied. More evidence against the economy of "sealers". When I last had my driveway re-paved with hot mix, it cost me $60/ton. That's 3 cents per pound, delivered, applied, and finished. Spending your weekend breaking your back to buy, schlep, mix, pour, and spread a few buckets of "sealer" is thus worth less than $10 on a unit weight basis. That doesn't pay for the first retail bucket, much less your aching back. The homeowner and his muscles are no match for dump trucks and screeds. Don't waste your money on sealers. You seem to be on a campaign about this thing. I've been through it all, including dutifully putting on "sealer" in my younger homeowning days, because good advice was impossible to find. Now that we have the Internet, facts are readily available, and anyone can learn from this engineer's experience and analysis. Kinch also leaves his house unpainted. It's more economical for him to wait until the siding rots and then replace it. Heh, good analogy. He's a well known usenet kook. He has what is known as "Usenet Contrarian Tourettes Syndrome". No matter what the subject, he is COMPELLED to take a viewpoint that is opposite to everyone else and shout it loudly while flailing his arms and telling the rest of the world how stupid they are to disagree with him. Everything is a scam, a consiracy or a ripoff to Kinch. Everything. BTW - On this particular subject of driveway sealers, Kinch thinks that everyone lives in Florida as he does. Good to know. I was a bit of a loss to explain the obvious to him, so I kinda gave up. (Gee, I installed new door hardware - being not someone who does this ever' day, I screwed up the first one, had to pull it out and re-install it, took more time and a little agita. My use of time was more than if I called my GC for a silly coupla door knobs, so it's not cost-effective huh? Yes, one should count one's own labor in driveway sealing if you do it that way, but to one's own value on time, not to what a paving machine brought on site can do! He's whacked.) Banty -- |
#19
Posted to misc.consumers.house,alt.home.repair
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Do driveway sealers really do anything?
"BTW - On this particular subject of driveway sealers, Kinch thinks
that everyone lives in Florida as he does. " ....isn't that supposed to be "Everyone like him lives in Florida"? -Jim |
#20
Posted to misc.consumers.house,alt.home.repair
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Do driveway sealers really do anything?
Banty writes:
Yes, one should count one's own labor in driveway sealing if you do it that way, but to one's own value on time, not to what a paving machine brought on site can do! He's whacked. One would assume that anonymous-pseudonymous-cowardly posters were the whacky ones, not the guy with actual figures and analysis and the character to back it up. |
#21
Posted to misc.consumers.house,alt.home.repair
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Do driveway sealers really do anything?
In article , Richard J Kinch
says... Banty writes: Yes, one should count one's own labor in driveway sealing if you do it that way, but to one's own value on time, not to what a paving machine brought on site can do! He's whacked. One would assume that anonymous-pseudonymous-cowardly posters were the whacky ones, not the guy with actual figures and analysis and the character to back it up. So! Do you actually have something to say regarding my point? Or, are you to be off on another campaign, this time about Usenet monikers? Banty -- |
#22
Posted to misc.consumers.house,alt.home.repair
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Do driveway sealers really do anything?
Or top 1/2 your driveway and see how the up-topped side holds up compared to
the topped side! Do it every couple years and report back in 10 years so we all know if we should keep topping or stop! "Rich" wrote in message news:GfDcg.8649$kR6.7685@trnddc05... Well you could always just let it go and if you are in a climate that has freeze and thaw periods you can see if water seeps under and disturbs your asphalt during these F&T periods. If it does you will know better next time around that it is not just cosmetic. "Walter Cohen" wrote in message ... I'm sure this has been debated before...... I have an aging asphalt (black top) driveway and I am thinking of coating it with driveway sealer (whether by myself or hire someone to do it). Does this really do anything for the driveway other than make it look cosmetically more appealing and perhaps fill in any small/minor cracks? It would seem that this would only be more cosmetic than anything else. The need would arise maybe 2-3 years down the road to do it again, or have the driveway repaved. The brands/types I've seen appear to all be basically the same, lasting anywhere from 2 to 5 years. Some have a sand mix supposedly helping the dried surface be a bit more coarse an making the surface not as slipper on rain/snow for tracktion. And why are they all called 'airport grade'? Thoughts? Thanks, Wally |
#23
Posted to misc.consumers.house,alt.home.repair
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Do driveway sealers really do anything?
Mys Terry writes:
Using a nickname in usenet is a long established tradition and has nothing to do with someone's veracity. Usenet is vile *because* of anonymity. For example, it allows *you* to insult respectible people with impunity. This is the very essence of cowardice, to harm without facing the fair consequences. To this thread I contributed my technical opinion, written clearly, with facts and analysis to back it up, based on decades of homeowning experience with a solid engineering background. Some people make a constructive debate out of such material. Your contribution: a traditional spewing of banal insults while hiding behind a traditional (although untraditionally faggy) pseudonym. What bizarre amusement. |
#24
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Do driveway sealers really do anything?
In article , Mark says...
Or top 1/2 your driveway and see how the up-topped side holds up compared to the topped side! Do it every couple years and report back in 10 years so we all know if we should keep topping or stop! There you go - he should take an empirical approach, if he's to convince those of us who actually want to maintain our properties, not just wait until things break or go bad and replace things. Banty "Rich" wrote in message news:GfDcg.8649$kR6.7685@trnddc05... Well you could always just let it go and if you are in a climate that has freeze and thaw periods you can see if water seeps under and disturbs your asphalt during these F&T periods. If it does you will know better next time around that it is not just cosmetic. "Walter Cohen" wrote in message ... I'm sure this has been debated before...... I have an aging asphalt (black top) driveway and I am thinking of coating it with driveway sealer (whether by myself or hire someone to do it). Does this really do anything for the driveway other than make it look cosmetically more appealing and perhaps fill in any small/minor cracks? It would seem that this would only be more cosmetic than anything else. The need would arise maybe 2-3 years down the road to do it again, or have the driveway repaved. The brands/types I've seen appear to all be basically the same, lasting anywhere from 2 to 5 years. Some have a sand mix supposedly helping the dried surface be a bit more coarse an making the surface not as slipper on rain/snow for tracktion. And why are they all called 'airport grade'? Thoughts? Thanks, Wally -- |
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