Driveway Sealing: Is It Worth It?
A luxury house with 3-car garage and wide driveway after a rainstorm at twilight.
Honestly, most people don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the importance of driveway sealer. Granted, it’s not the most glamorous topic in the world. But it’s one of our favorite topics.
Sealing your driveway sure can save you a lot of money and headaches down the road if you understand what it is and why it is a great investment.
Let’s deep dive into the most commonly asked questions about driveway sealing like:
What is driveway sealant?
What happens if you don’t seal a concrete driveway?
What are the benefits of driveway sealer?
What types of driveway sealer are there?
How much does driveway sealer cost?
Is driveway sealant worth it?
Interested in driveway sealing near you in Columbia, SC?
At Boots On Enterprises, we handle all things related to paving and driveways for commercial and residential properties.
We do driveway cleaning, installations, repair, renovations, and driveway sealing in Columbia, SC and the surrounding area.
Contact us today for a FREE estimate.
Phone: 803-521-4978
Email: bootsonenterprises@gmail.com
(By the way, if you are looking for a more glamorous driveway, we can actually help with that, too with driveway makeovers, stamping, staining, and landscaping.)
A close-up of pavement — the left side of this pavement is sealed and the right side is unsealed.
What is driveway sealant?
Pavements have little holes in them that allow them to absorb liquids like a sponge. Driveway sealers are specialized coatings that protect pavement by repelling water, UV rays, and chemicals like engine oil or de-icers.
When we seal a driveway, the sealant creates a type of film or membrane that physically covers the pores in pavement, keeping water and other contaminants out.
Before sealing, the driveway needs to be prepped and cleaned. And it’s important that temperatures not be too cold or too hot when the sealer is applied. You’ll want to try to avoid rain right after application and check with your contractor or the manufacturer’s directions about when you may walk on the driveway and when it is okay to drive on it again.
A close-up of a sealed concrete driveway with water beading on the surface.
What happens if you don’t seal a concrete driveway?
First it’s important to ask questions about your driveway material.
These are important considerations:
“Is concrete waterproof?”
“Can asphalt handle lots of exposure to UV rays, water, and ice if it is not sealed?”
“Will my driveway pavers be able to withstand many years of heavy rain, and ponding or will it stain if oil leaks onto it?
The answer to all of these questions is no. If your pavement is not sealed, it is going to take a much heavier beating from the weather.
Although asphalt, concrete, and stone are very strong and durable, they do have their weaknesses and some level of porosity that can allow water to get in and cause damage and cracking. And UV rays can cause damage to the surface of your pavement over time. Also, unsealed driveways can end up becoming stained by oil or other chemicals from your vehicles.
Without sealing your driveway, your driveway will likely last many years. But it will also likely experience more cracking, weathering, and damage and won’t last nearly as many years as it could if you seal the driveway as needed.
Driveway sealing contractors spraying sealant on an asphalt driveway.
What are the benefits of driveway sealer?
Driveway sealcoating is essentially like adding a thin layer of asphalt, stone, or concrete waterproofer to the surface of your driveway. It protects your pavement from the elements.
4 benefits of driveway sealing include:
Weatherproofing/protection
Waterproofing/ice proofing
UV protection/oxidation protection
Improved flexibility (reduced cracking)
Chemical resistance
Stain resistance
Enhanced performance/appearance
Better skid resistance
Beautifies the pavement, boosting curb appeal
Some sealants are color enhancing
Longer driveway lifespan
Lower costs over time and easier maintenance
Reduces/delays long term repair and replacement costs
Easier to sweep and wash
How often should you seal your driveway?
After the initial sealcoating (which is probably going to be a week to a month or more after the installation of your driveway) you’ll want to do a first coat according to the manufacturer’s/driveway contractor’s schedule.)
After that, many manufacturers recommend resealing your driveway every 2-5 years. (Although, there are some more industrial-strength products that may last 5-10 years.) The main thing is to notice when the water isn’t beading up anymore. That’s the biggest sign that it’s time to think about reapplying sealant.
And if you see some small cracks developing, that’s another sign it’s time to call in the pros to seal and/or check the health of your driveway. Sealcoating a driveway is an investment. When you use a quality product and apply it properly, it will extend the life of your pavement. And that saves you a lot of money down the road.
The type of driveway sealer you use, how cold/hot your climate is, how rainy your area is, and the level of heavy traffic on your pavement will determine how long it lasts and how often you need to reseal it.
You’ll likely notice a change in the look of your driveway as the sealant wears away. The fading color of the pavement and/or the ability of water to bead or soak into the surface will often let you know it’s time to reapply sealant.
A close-up view of thin concrete sealer being applied to a concrete surface with a roller.
What types of driveway sealers are there?
Sealing a driveway is the same thing as making your pavers, asphalt, or concrete waterproof. There are many different types of sealcoating (or seal coating) for driveways. The products are designed specifically to protect the type of pavement you have.
Concrete driveway sealer/concrete waterproofing
Sealing a concrete driveway is the best, and least expensive, way to protect your driveway from the elements and chemicals that could damage your beautiful concrete.
Concrete driveway sealing can be done by roller or by spraying a waterproof concrete sealer onto the surface of your pavement.
The advantage of having waterproof concrete is that water won’t get down into the pores of the concrete to cause damage. And you’ll keep ice from forming inside the concrete during cold weather. Ice expands when water freezes so water turning to ice inside the little holes in your concrete driveway is a quick recipe for cracks and damage to occur.
Products for sealing concrete driveways:
Acrylic
Polyurethane
Epoxy coating
Polyaspartics
Gray waterproof paint and sealant for concrete being applied with a roller to a concrete surface.
Waterproof paint for concrete
Another option for protecting concrete is concrete driveway sealer and paint. Then you get the waterproofing of sealant plus the fresh new look and style of paint to make a customized aesthetic.
Concrete staining and sealing.
Even better than painting your driveway, in most cases, is staining concrete. You keep the textured look of your concrete but you can have a new color or even create exciting effects like marbling. Then the concrete can be sealed. You can get a very high-end look
Staining is a permanent way to change the color and appearance of a concrete driveway that won’t ever flake.
Asphalt driveway sealer being applied with a push broom by a driveway contractor.
Asphalt driveway sealer
Blacktop sealers breathe new life into your driveway. They fill in the little cracks and weather proof your asphalt to protect your driveway and keep it looking its best for a lot longer. They also bring a uniform and darker color to your driveway that makes it look new again.
If your asphalt driveway has significant cracking or damage, you may need to have it repaired, resurfaced, or replaced rather than just sealcoating it.
Types of asphalt driveway sealer include:
Acrylic
Coal tar
Asphalt emulsion
Petroleum resin
Natural stone that is unsealed on the left and sealcoated on the right. The uncoated part absorbs water but the sealed stone is waterproof.
Paver sealer
To sealcoat (or seal coat) a driveway made of pavers is just as important as waterproofing concrete. It protects your pavers from the elements, which helps them stay stronger and last longer.
But you can also choose different effects with paver sealer like a wet look or glossy effect. These produce a film that acts as a physical barrier to protect the surface of your pavers.
Or you can choose slip-resistant, matte finish options. You can also bring out the color of your pavers and protect from UV rays.
There are different types of paver sealer:
Water-based sealers
Solvent-based sealers
Urethane-based sealers
Acrylic-based sealers
A driveway contractor sealing and painting a stamped concrete driveway with a black sealant/paint.
How much does driveway sealing cost?
A driveway seal coat can extend the life of your driveway by years. Not only that, but it protects the appearance of your driveway and helps boost your curb appeal by preventing stains and damage from water, ice, UV rays, and chemicals.
Professional driveway sealcoaters across the country, in 2022, generally charged between about $1.21 and $1.53 per square foot for materials and labor. But prices do vary by geographic area. And they are subject to change depending on fluctuating costs of materials and labor. What does that mean overall?
According to Angi.com (in late 2022), you can expect the lowest cost of sealing a driveway to be about $110 and the highest cost to be over $1,500. Of course, this is a fraction of the price of more involved repairs, resurfacing, or replacing a driveway.
For an exact price in your area, contact a local driveway sealer near you for a quote.
What factors are involved in the cost of seal coating a driveway?
There are a number of factors that affect the cost of sealcoating driveways including how thick the layer of sealant is, what type of sealant you are using, how large the driveway is, how much cleaning it needs before sealcoating, and any additional driveway repair costs that may be needed.
Some homeowners like to have a driveway renovation and have a custom finish with texture or color. Some have a design stamped into the sealcoat or have the driveway dyed a new color. You could also add upgrades to your driveway like pavers along the edging for an extra pop of luxury.
And, of course, you may find that you get a better deal if you have local driveway sealing companies do additional work like landscaping, fencing, hardscaping, or other jobs on your property at the same time.
Is driveway sealant worth it?
We sure think it is. We’ve seen how much longer well-maintained, well-protected driveways last in comparison with those who go neglected for years. Of course, the more quality product you choose for sealant and the more professional the application, the better the results will be, too. We’d love to see your driveway last as long as possible.
Ultimately, the decision is up to you. But we find that it saves a lot of money down the road to take good care of your pavement throughout the years. You know the saying about an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That tends to be true in every area of life.
A beautiful paver driveway in front of a double garage with tan, modern-looking garage door.
Ready to talk with a trusted driveway sealing company near you in Columbia, SC?
At Boots On Enterprises, we’d love to seal your driveway and can help with driveway repairs, maintenance, or even resurfacing or replacing, if that time has come.
Please contact us today for a FREE quote:
Phone: 803-521-4978
Email: bootsonenterprises@gmail.com
Interested in stamping or staining your driveway to make it more beautiful and eye-catching? Ask us about that, too.
We can also give your yard a makeover with fresh new landscaping, a new wood fence, pressure washing, and do any hardscaping you may want.
