Seal Coating Your Driveway for Dummies

Seal coating your driveway is by all means a relatively simple task. While the task may seem daunting enough, it's no bigger than painting a wall or getting an even spread of peanut butter in your sandwich. While it would be beneficial to have at least some previous knowledge of types of roadwork, it's by no means essential to completing the job at hand.

You start by prepping the area. You have to make sure to get rid of all the weeds and vegetation growing out of any cracks in your driveway. Get them out along with the roots or at least get out as much of the plant as possible.

Next get rid of all the dirt, dust, pebbles, etc. You can use a broom or a leaf blower. Also use masking tape to cover any edges, such as your house or fence post.

If your driveway has cracks, as most do, buy some cold filler and use it to fill them. Make sure you don't overfill it and do as neat of a job as possible, otherwise it will be obvious later on.

After the filler has set in the next day, you should clean up any new dirt that has accumulated again.

Your local hardware store should have seal coats and the clerks should be able to help you with the type and quantity. Make sure you get a bit more than needed according to the labels.

If you can spray the seal coat onto your driveway, that would be ideal for even coverage. If not, however, you can use a brush.

Pour out the sealer along the length of the driveway. It doesn't matter which direction you brush but it might be simplest to do the trim first and then go side to side from the garage down to the street.

Having one thick coat is ideal as it can be applied on the same day. If you cannot get it to spread thick, then do one thin layer one day and another one the next.

You should let your driveway dry for at least 24 hours before stepping onto it, and ideally at least a week before driving on it.