# Asphalt Sealer and Crack help?



## stadry (Jun 20, 2009)

imo, there isn't a long-lasting b-top sealer but that also depends on how you define long-lasting,,, all that's avail to the avg diy'er is acrylic latex crack filler from what i know


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

Ayuh,.... If you can find a coal tar based product somewhere, you've found the Best product out there,.....

Crack filler is sealcoat with sand added,.....


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## stadry (Jun 20, 2009)

agree on coal tar products but they're not avail to h/o's-diy'ers due to quantity & equipment,,, crk sealers are best applied hot after prepping cracks - that's not practical for the diy'ers,,, maintenance, inc, offers some mtls in smaller quantities ( no $ interest )

GOOD crk seal mtl will generally meet astm 3405 &/or astm 1190 rqmts making it impractical w/o specialized equip as its applied it @ 375* f :no:


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## Knucklez (Oct 21, 2007)

Gem Seal Polytar


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## bcdinh (Jun 14, 2012)

thank you all..what do you think of henry, drive max, latex.ite...brand from local hardware like Lowes and HD?


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## stadry (Jun 20, 2009)

again, everything mentioned so far is a crack filler, NOT a sealant,,, sealants are designed to adhere to the sidewalls of a properly prepp'd crk which also includes diamond sawing :yes:


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## bcdinh (Jun 14, 2012)

stadry said:


> again, everything mentioned so far is a crack filler, NOT a sealant,,, sealants are designed to adhere to the sidewalls of a properly prepp'd crk which also includes diamond sawing :yes:


sorry i didn't know about it. what i like to do is seal some of the cracks then i will roll the back tar stuff over it to make the driveway looks like new. can you please recommend a good sealer too?


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## ZTMAN (Feb 19, 2015)

For the wide cracks I came up with a repair but people look at me like I have three heads when I am doing it. I never liked the liquid crack sealer for the larger cracks, over 1/4". I get a bag of pot hole mix, or if you dont have a lot of cracks they sell it in plastic containers. I spread the mix neatly over the crack, a little high, and then tap it in the crack with a two pound sledge hammer. Works great, never know the cracks were there. To spread the mix I use two mason trowles. I also wet the face of the hammer. For cracks under 1/4 inch, i use the black blacktop caulk.
By the way, if you have kids, they love helping.


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## bcdinh (Jun 14, 2012)

Knucklez said:


> Gem Seal Polytar


this stuff is on the eastcoast. i live in the northwest. can you please recommend a different one?


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## stadry (Jun 20, 2009)

sounds like ZT used polymer-modified cold patch from apron/vest stores,,, about the best stuff you can use is whatever's sold @ the same place - for 1 thing, no sealer supplier ( to my knowledge ) sells 5gal pails,,, rather, they use pumps & hoses,,, around here the min order's 250gal but most sealcoaters have 500gal tanks

for what the avg h/o-diy'er needs, most suppliers can't afford to turn on their pumps,,, use kerosene or diesel fuel for tool cleanup


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

Ayuh,.... If ya don't care 'bout the Color,....

The absolute Best way to seal, 'n secure a blacktop driveway is to seal it annually with Portland Cement,......

Get a fertilizer drop-spreader, ''n fill it with Portland, right outa the bag,...
Walk 'round, paintin' the driveway with a decent dustin' of Portland, cover every inch,...

Then drag out yer garden hose, 'n fan the area, makin' it Wet, but no water runnin' off it,....
Doin' this on a wet humid very light rainy day, precludes the hose,...

The Portland will leach down into the pores, 'n cracks, sorta gluin' everything back together,....
It'll also seal the blacktop from spilled gas, 'n other petro-products,......

The only draw-back is yer driveway is grey, rather than black,...


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## bcdinh (Jun 14, 2012)

i appreciated everyone comment but i still dont know what black tar product to use to resurface my driveway. 

coal tar product is banned in my state


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## stadry (Jun 20, 2009)

this is like talkin' to a wall,,,,,,,,,,,, go buy some **** from the apron/vest/hdwe store & get it done,,, you can't buy the good stuff 'cause you can't carry it home,,, tar is a solid & needs to be heated in order to flow,,, what you'll use is asphalt emulsion - just mix it up well before squeegeeing it on the d/w

am i writing in magyar ? looks like english on my monitor but, evidently, its translated into something you can't understand :whistling2: why not just have a pro do it ? :huh:


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

BCDINH......

I don't think your question is so out of line/dumb.

I think you are asking for a recommendation of the many brands of polymer/coal tar and asphalt emulsions available at the retail level.

I agree with everyone above that the pro's with hot tar are probably the best sealant... and impractical for DIY.

But, I do my own driveways (other owned properties also) and have tried alot of different retail products.

Hard to get but available, Gilsonite is probably the best sealant/protectorant/longest longevity.... but it is shiny/slicky... which may or may not meet residential aesthetics.

Coal tar base is supposedly superior to asphalt emulsion.

Basically I've found all the other makers stuff pretty much the same and their quality a function of their price.... can't remember them all Henry/Blackjack/Ace/Latexite/ hell Costco had something on their aisle the other day.

Some are not much more than a paint. Some are better fillers. I've been using lately latexite (from HD) mainly because I like their patching material.. and it is quick drying and relatively easy application. It's OK... but not a pro/hot tar.

Sorry, I haven't found anything miraculous.

Good luck


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

from what i have been told, and i can believe it. the box store stuff, you have to just keep on using it. at least every other year. and the more layers you have, the better it works. 


8 year warranty means = after 8 years, you may see a trace of black on your drive. 

i am wanting my drive done this summer. i am going to get a few estimates from the pro's before i decide.


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## ron45 (Feb 25, 2014)

http://www.homedepot.com/s/crak%20stix?NCNI-5












Save yourself some money and heart ache, do your own drive. The so called pro stuff is no better then what you can get.


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## stadry (Jun 20, 2009)

thats why sealcoaters have work,,, b-top sealing is a maintenance item OR you could do what most hgwy depts do - nothing,,, then you'd just mill off the wearing course & repave every 8yrs.

never used crackstix - but, from what i have seen of it, your avg h/o-diy'er propane torch will f' it up,,, use the burner torch CAREFULLY or you'll burn off the asphalt in the b-top & soon face crumbles

there is no way to get 5gal into 4gal buckets so quit trying to reinvent wheels :laughing:


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## bcdinh (Jun 14, 2012)

MTN REMODEL LLC said:


> BCDINH......
> 
> I don't think your question is so out of line/dumb.
> 
> ...



thank you MTN REMODEL LLC!


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

update

i just did my drive. i power washed it, with a 3000psi washer :thumbsup:
holly crap , was it dirty. let it dry. filled cracks with crack sealer from menards , seems to work well = time will tell. then i used SEAL BEST 8 year on the top 3/4 of the drive. i used 5 buckets. that not being enough, i thought i would experiment. i bought 2 buckets of the 2 years stuff for the last 1/4 to the street (still not quite enough). my experiment is to see how long the 2 yr lasts compared to the 8 yr. btw, the "color" of both is the same.

when i first did the drive 2 years ago, i did not clean it. just swep and blow.
so, hopefully this is why the last job didn't last as well as i am hoping this job does. time will tel.


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## die4irish (Nov 10, 2014)

Bondo said:


> Ayuh,.... If ya don't care 'bout the Color,....
> 
> The absolute Best way to seal, 'n secure a blacktop driveway is to seal it annually with Portland Cement,......
> 
> ...


can a sealer be applied over this to get the black color back?


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## mathmonger (Dec 27, 2012)

I have used Pli-Stix for filling cracks. It is a rope that you pack into the crack and then you heat it up so it melts and seals everything. I guess it is similar to the stuff ron45 is suggesting. 

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Latex-it...iveway-Crack-and-Joint-Filler-35099/100084640

It works great, but it is pretty tedious to apply compared to squirting some caulk in there. Even with a MAPP torch. Maybe a big torch like this one would work better:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lincoln-Electric-Inferno-Propane-Torch-Kit-KH825-01/100341111

Professional driveway sealing is pretty inexpensive, but they just put a thin coat of spray paint on it. I think that is probably better for maintenance on a driveway that is already in decent condition. If your driveway is in rough shape, you might be better off mopping some stuff on there.


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

die4irish said:


> can a sealer be applied over this to get the black color back?


Ayuh,.... Ya could, but the next time, yer just gluein' the sealer, insteada the actual asphalt,...


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## cds123 (Sep 12, 2016)

For best results you may want to hire a professional, just get some free estimates so you know if it's doable for you. 
tips visit www.columbusdrivewaysealing.com


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## stadry (Jun 20, 2009)

'SPRAY PAINT' ??????? :vs_no_no_no: w/all the research into improving asphalt sealers by so many, 'spray paint' illustrates a lot of ignorance


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## mathmonger (Dec 27, 2012)

stadry said:


> 'SPRAY PAINT' ??????? :vs_no_no_no: w/all the research into improving asphalt sealers by so many, 'spray paint' illustrates a lot of ignorance


This one was just spray painted a few days before the picture. Is it just me or is it not supposed to look like that? It didn't fill the cracks at all.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

Fix'n it said:


> update
> 
> i just did my drive. i power washed it, with a 3000psi washer :thumbsup:
> holly crap , was it dirty. let it dry. filled cracks with crack sealer from menards , seems to work well = time will tell. then i used SEAL BEST 8 year on the top 3/4 of the drive. i used 5 buckets. that not being enough, i thought i would experiment. i bought 2 buckets of the 2 years stuff for the last 1/4 to the street (still not quite enough). my experiment is to see how long the 2 yr lasts compared to the 8 yr. btw, the "color" of both is the same.
> ...



update on my 1'ish year old seal.
it still looks pretty good. perhaps because of the prep work and/or we diddn't get much snow last season (didn;t use the snow blower much. if that even effects it).

also. the 2year stuff looks just as good as the 8 year stuff. i am not doing it again this year, though i wanted to. so, if this thread comes back up next year, i will reply to the results. but, i will be sealing the cracks, as much they will take. until i run out of the about 2 gallons of stuff i have. FILLING the cracks just once last year did not last at all.


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

> Is it just me or is it not supposed to look like that?


Ayuh,.... It appears to be polished poo,.....

Some cracks were sealed, many more were not,....

A hot mix overlay, Might save it,....

My portland sealin' trick might prolong it's life,...

There's water in the foreground cracks,....


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