Sealcoating in Palm Bay, FL

Sealcoating gets debated online, and one of the most common searches around Palm Bay is whether sealing a blacktop driveway is pointless. The honest answer is that sealer does not make asphalt stronger and will not hold together pavement that is already failing. What it does is shield the surface from the two things that age asphalt fastest in Florida: ultraviolet light and water. On a sound driveway, that protection is worth it.

What sun and rain do

Asphalt is stone held together by a petroleum binder. Sunlight oxidizes that binder, turning black pavement gray and brittle. As it dries, fine stone loosens and washes away in heavy rain, which leaves a rougher, more porous surface that lets even more water in. Palm Bay averages about 55 inches of rain a year, so that cycle repeats often. A coat of sealer slows all of it down.

When to seal

• New asphalt: wait. HomeGuide recommends 3 to 6 months for the asphalt to cure, and its driveway guide suggests the first seal about a year after installation.
• After that: HomeGuide's spread runs anywhere from 2 to 10 years by product and exposure. In full Florida sun, every two to three years is common.
• Time of year: sealer needs dry weather while it cures. The wettest months in Palm Bay are June through September; the driest is December. Fall through spring is the easiest window, and summer jobs are done early in the day around the forecast.

Preparation does most of the work

• Edges trimmed and grass pulled from cracks
• Surface blown and swept clean
• Oil spots treated so the sealer sticks
• Cracks filled
• Potholes and soft spots repaired first

Sealer applied over dirt, oil or loose stone peels. Sealer applied over open cracks lets water in anyway.

Products

HomeGuide groups sealers into coal tar emulsion, asphalt polymer emulsion and latex acrylic, with acrylic the costliest and longest lasting. We tell you which we plan to use and how many coats, and we cut in by hand along garage slabs, pavers and walkways so sealer stays where it belongs.

For business lots

Commercial lots are often sealed and restriped together. Commercial sealing is in the $0.15 to $0.30 a square foot range by HomeAdvisor's numbers. Half the lot stays usable while the other half cures, and paint follows.