Sealcoating is a protective coating applied over asphalt to shield the binder from UV, water, oil and oxidation. On a typical Delaware County driveway it goes down every two to three years, takes a few hours, and needs 24 to 48 hours before vehicles return. It is maintenance, not repair — cracks and potholes are fixed first, in a separate step.
The season is closing. Book before the surface drops below about 50°F.
Step 1
Sean measures the driveway and checks the condition himself. If it does not need sealing yet, the estimate says so.
Step 2
Clean, treat oil spots, remove vegetation, fill cracks over a quarter inch. Prep is most of the job and it is where a cheap quote hides.
Step 3
Edges and perimeter hand-brushed for a clean line against lawn and concrete; field coated. Second coat where the surface calls for it.
Step 4
Stay off for 4–6 hours on foot, 24–48 hours by car. Avoid turning your wheels while parked for the first few days.
Delaware County, Pennsylvania — Brookhaven, Aston, Media, Springfield, Ridley Park, Swarthmore, Wallingford, Nether Providence and the surrounding townships. Chester County by arrangement.
Owner-operated by Sean McCullough, serving Delaware County since 2016 — 10 years.
Keep foot traffic off for 4 to 6 hours and vehicles off for 24 to 48 hours. Cool or humid weather extends that. The most common way a good coat gets damaged is turning the wheels while parked in the first few days.
Surface temperature above about 50°F and rising, held through the entire cure including overnight. Air temperature is not the number that matters — pavement holds and loses heat differently. Rain within 24 hours of application will ruin a fresh coat.
Wait 6 to 12 months. New asphalt has to release its oils before it will accept a coating; sealing too early traps them and leaves a surface that stays soft and marks under tires.
Always, on anything wider than about a quarter inch. Sealcoat is a coating a few millimetres thick, not a filler. Coating over an open crack hides it for a few weeks and changes nothing underneath — water still reaches the base.
Price is driven by measured square footage, how much crack filling the surface needs, oil spot treatment, and whether it takes one coat or two. Every estimate states the square footage it is based on, so you can compare it to anyone else’s.
Cracks wider than about a quarter inch get hot-applied rubberized sealant, which stays flexible through a Pennsylvania freeze–thaw cycle instead of cracking with the pavement.
Read→Patching removes a trip or tire hazard and stops water reaching the base through a hole.
Read→A layover is a new layer of asphalt placed over the existing surface rather than replacing it.
Read→