How do I look after my driveway between sealcoats?
Short answer
Keep the surface clean, get oil and gas spills up quickly, fill new cracks while they are still small, and keep heavy or sharp loads off it where you can. A quick look over the driveway now and then catches problems while they are still cheap.
Answered by Sean McCullough, owner of FGG Sealcoating · Serving Delaware County, Pennsylvania and Chester County, Pennsylvania
Keep it clean
Debris holds moisture against the surface, and leaves and dirt left in the same place for weeks keep that patch damp. Sweeping or blowing the driveway off now and then does more than it looks like it would.
Deal with spills quickly
Oil, gas and other automotive fluids soften asphalt. A coating slows that down but does not stop it if a spill is left to soak in. Clean spills up as soon as you see them, and if a car leaks, fix the leak or put something under it.
Fill cracks while they are small
A crack is where water gets in, and water in a crack is what does the real damage in a Pennsylvania winter. New cracks are cheapest to deal with while they are narrow. Cracks wider than about a quarter inch need proper crack filler — see will sealcoating fix cracks?
Go easy on the surface
Asphalt is flexible, which also means it gives under a concentrated load. Heavy equipment, sharp stands and jacks, and anything that stays parked in one spot for a long time can dent or gouge it, especially on a hot day. Put a board under a trailer jack or a kickstand.
Look it over now and then
Walk the driveway once in a while and look for new cracks, weeds in the joints, loose stone at the surface, water pooling where it did not before, and a coating worn through in the wheel tracks. That last one is the sign the next coat is due — more on that in how often should I sealcoat?
Related questions
Why do oil and gas spills matter so much?
Petroleum products soften asphalt. A spill left to sit eats into the coating and then into the binder underneath, leaving a soft patch that breaks up. Cleaning it up quickly keeps it from getting that far.
When should new cracks be filled?
Before winter, while they are still small. Water that gets into a crack freezes, expands and widens it, and the next stop is the base underneath.
What is worth checking on a driveway once in a while?
New cracks, grass or weeds coming up through joints, stones coming loose at the surface, water pooling where it did not before, and the coating wearing through in the wheel tracks. Each of those is cheaper to deal with early.