How Often Should You Seal Your Driveway?
The industry standard is to add a fresh coat of sealant to your driveway every two years
Highlights
Driveways need sealing after obvious signs of wear and tear including fading, cracks, and oil stains.
Resealing a driveway too often can cause hairline cracks or a too-soft driveway.
Ideal conditions for resealing a driveway are dry weather with temperatures above 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
On average, hiring a professional sealer costs $173–$707, but ultimately depends on the type of driveway.
Sealing your driveway brings a new definition to curb appeal. After years of sizzling in the sun, being pelted by heavy rain, and withstanding the weight of two-ton cars, it’s no surprise when your driveway starts looking worse for wear. A quick makeover is all it needs, while all you need to get the job done is sealant and a free weekend. But homeowners beware—too many makeovers could actually do more damage than good. Let’s find out just how often you should aim to seal your driveway.
Why Driveways Need Resealing
There’s nothing quite as satisfying as seeing a brand new driveway. But over time, harsh sunlight, rain, excessive snow, freezing temperatures, road salts, and heavy traffic can all cause wear and tear, like cracks and oil leaks.
How to Tell When to Reseal a Driveway
You can expect to seal a driveway every two years. Some homeowners choose to seal asphalt driveways annually, but don’t do the same with concrete. Sealing concrete yearly can lead to more hairline cracks, so if you have a concrete driveway, you should consider resealing it every five years. In addition, sealing an asphalt driveway too soon may trap oils within the asphalt, resulting in a driveway that is too soft or flexible.
Regardless of the type of driveway you have or the climate you live in, there are some common ways to tell when a driveway needs fresh sealant.
After the driveway gets wet from rain or a hose, observe how it dries. If it dries unevenly, that means moisture is soaking into some spots more than others and could use a new coating of sealant. While you might consider resealing your driveway to fix uneven concrete, you are better off looking into concrete leveling.
Anytime you notice even a small crack in the driveway, particularly for asphalt, it’s a good time to consider resealing. For larger cracks of more than a quarter of an inch, you should consider fixing the crack, then resealing it. It is considered a best practice to sealcoat your driveway during the summer months to ensure optimal results.
How Long It Takes to Seal a Driveway
Prepare to set aside a weekend, maybe two to three days, to seal your driveway. Prep work takes about a day on its own and involves deep cleaning the driveway, trimming long grass along the edges of the driveway, filling in cracks, and mixing the sealant.
Once the sealant is mixed, you can expect to spend a couple of hours adding one coat, and experts recommend doing two coats. Wait eight hours between each coat.
Drying Time
After the final coat, wait another eight hours before walking on the driveway. Then wait up to 48 hours before driving on the freshly sealed driveway.
Driveway Maintenance
If you have a brand new asphalt driveway, apply sealer between 30 days and six months after the first installation of the asphalt. Then, you can expect to reapply every one to three years. If you live in an area with colder temperatures or frequent rain, you may need to reapply annually. If you’re always driving to and from school drop-offs and pick-ups, soccer fields and the office, you might also need to reapply more often than driveways that see less traffic.
DIY Cost to Seal a Driveway
The cost of driveway sealants varies widely, with prices ranging from around $40 to $165 per 5-gallons of product, which covers 500 square feet with a single coat.
Additional costs may include a pressure washer, oil spot cleaners and primers, a sealcoating broom, and a mixing paddle. The average cost for just the materials is $470, including the sealant.
Hiring a Pro to Seal a Driveway
For an average-sized driveway, prices typically average between $173 to $707 when handled by a professional. Hiring a professional driveway sealing contractor, on average, is $36 per hour or $1.15 per square foot, and a single coat for 500 square feet takes about 16 hours.
These rates can depend on the type of driveway, too. Rates for sealing asphalt are cheaper at $0.15 to $0.25 per square foot, while one con of a concrete driveway is that sealing it is costlier at $0.85 to $2.15 per square foot.
Sealing a Driveway Can Boost Its Life and Your Home’s Curb Appeal
Although it can take up an entire weekend, sealing the driveway is essential for prolonging its life by protecting it against the elements. A well-cared-for driveway can last decades. Plus, a fresh coat of sealant every few years can give your home a little facelift.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it’s possible to seal your driveway too much. Whether you have an asphalt or concrete driveway, sealing it every year opens your driveway to potential damage. Sealing an asphalt driveway annually may cause the seal to crack and peel even more. It may even trap oils within the asphalt that can leave you driving on a soft driveway. Avoid sealing your concrete driveway too much to prevent the concrete from cracking. If water enters these cracks, it can freeze, expand, and cause the cracks to worsen.
A good rule for all homeowners is to seal every driveway to protect it. Wait at least three months to seal an asphalt driveway and one month to seal a concrete driveway. You know it’s time to reseal your driveway when it shows obvious signs of wear and tear. It may appear as fading or discolored asphalt, small cracks, and oil stains. If you notice that one area of your driveway seems to dry slower than others, it’s time to reseal.
The best month to seal your driveway depends on where you live. Avoid sealing your driveway during the winter months. Warm weather makes it easier for the sealant to bond. Ideal temperatures would be above 55 degrees Fahrenheit. For most homeowners, this would be during the spring, summer, and fall months. Schedule your next reseal for the driest month, but check the forecast ahead of time. Rain could easily wash away your sealant during the first 24 hours.
There are more pros than cons, but there are a few disadvantages to sealing your driveway to be aware of. Sealant can make the surface slippery, which can be a hazard, especially when the driveway gets wet. Look for sealants with abrasive additives to help counteract this. You’ll also need to remember to reapply your sealant every two years and budget for the expense that comes with it.