Is Sealcoating Worth the Investment?

Homeowners getting a new asphalt driveway may not understand sealcoating in Springfield, Illinois and why this step is so important. Unfortunately, failing to add this protective coating to a driveway can cause a myriad of problems that can be very hard to fix after the fact. As a result, it is critical to pay attention to the nature of this process and how it can be appropriately utilized to help homeowners.

Sealcoats Make a Driveway More Attractive

Though sealcoating is typically seen as a great way of protecting a driveway, it can also be a good stylistic choice. That’s because there are many types of sealcoats that a homeowner can add to the surface of their asphalt. These coatings provide a myriad of color options that can help to tint their driveway and produce different appealing effects that are hard to get in any other way.

Just as importantly, these coats can be painted or upgraded with other coatings to ensure that they are durable and attractive. So if a homeowner doesn’t like the dark color of their asphalt, they can add a sealcoat to tweak its look and add a new dimension to their exterior home design. These steps are essential as a way of ensuring homeowners have the most attractive house possible for their needs.

The benefits of a more attractive exterior are huge to a home. First of all, people will be more likely to admire the home and may even cause homeowners to win awards from their neighbors. Just as importantly – if not more so – selling a house with a more attractive exterior is infinitely easier than one with an ugly outside, and a good sealcoat on a driveway can help with this process in many ways.

A Sealcoat Protects a Driveway

When sealcoating your driveway, you are doing more than adding a more attractive style to its surface – you are also protecting it from various damage types. That’s because sealcoats help to keep water and other elements from absorbing into the surface of a driveway, preventing the spread of damage and ensuring that a homeowner doesn’t experience any adverse side effects.

As a result, a good sealcoat can add years to your driveway’s life, potentially even more. Many types of sealcoats can be applied with reasonably little effort, providing a homeowner with the protection that they need. And since they only have to be applied once every few years, a homeowner can be even more protected because they won’t have to worry about constant updates to its surface or maintenance steps.

That said, homeowners need to avoid the mistake of adding a sealcoat too often to their home. They may be under the impression that “more is better” and try to add sealcoats once a year to the driveway. This mistake is considerable because the coating may end up eating into the driveway’s surface in an expected way. As a result, it is critical to keep the applications to just once every 2-4 years or so.

Fills in Minor Damage

Over the years, your driveway is likely going to experience a myriad of wear and tear problems that can be hard to fix. For example, the surface may crack in spots or even fall into a sinkhole. This dangerous problem is one that can be very hard to manage because even small issues can quickly spiral into significant concerns if homeowners don’t take the time to repair them.

However, a good sealcoat can protect a driveway by filling in these minor imperfections in a way that would take much more time with other types of repair methods. Just as importantly, this process can also let the sealcoat absorb more deeply into the textures of the driveway, providing a higher-quality of protection that you just can’t get from other types of sealants for driveways.

Can sealcoating be used as the only way to fix these problems on driveways? Probably not because they only seal the surface issue. Thankfully, the underlying concern is probably stabilized if there is no exterior influence via the crack. So it is possible to hold off further repairs on driveways using this method, though homeowners may want to contact maintenance experts if these issues worsen.

Stop Weather-Related Issues

Bad weather is one of the most damaging influences on pavement of all types. For example, concrete reacts poorly to freezing temperatures and may crack without proper sealcoating. By contrast, asphalt is more prone to heat-related damage and may end up melting or cracking if the temperature is high enough. Thankfully, a good sealcoat can avoid that problem by providing a protective layer.

Sealcoats reflect UV rays and absorb only a fraction of the heat that the surface would without this level of protection. As a result, the surface of a driveway is much less likely to crack under the heat. The same goes for colder temperatures, but for a different reason – the coat will stop excessive moisture from absorbing into the surface and keep it from freezing, expanding, and cracking.

And this type of protection also helps from chemicals that may get spilled on the driveway, such as oil and other automotive fluids. These can eat into the surface of a driveway and make it more prone to damage from weather conditions. Thankfully, a good sealcoat prevents this issue by stopping the fluids from eating the pavement and providing a smoother shine to the surface at the same time.

Get a Sealcoat for Your Home Today

As you can see, the best sealcoating in Springfield, Illinois is critical for preventing damage to all types of pavement, mainly asphalt. If you want to ensure that your driveway is safe and protected from the dangers of temperature-related damage, please contact us at The Road Doctor to ensure that you get the most protection possible. Doing so will ensure that your driveway is safe from harm and provide you with a long-lasting surface free from blemishes.