New asphalt driveway & debating on sealing !! Need Advice


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Old 10-01-07, 07:50 PM
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New asphalt driveway & debating on sealing !! Need Advice

I just bought a 550 paver & 1 ton roller to do a job myself because all the contractors wanted @ 20 K to do my driveway so I figured that it would be cheaper to do it myself... So thats what I did. I laid out 108 ton of blacktop of the 3ID and it looks pretty good for a rookie. I now after doing my own d-way have a good feeling @ having to do another one. I just paved my driveway myself @ 1 week ago and was deciding whether to seal it or not. I was deciding on it because the roller was not running correct for the first 40 ton and it does not seem to be packed as tight as what it should be because of the roller shutting off and the asphalt was getting a little cold and I only have a 1 ton roller, when it rains you can see the water absorb intop the asphalt like a sponge. It is rolled pretty tight but I thought that maybe it should of been tighter..My friend says that once the rain washes dirt on it and fills the cracks it will be good to go and to seal it next year. I live in Pa. and we get cold winters here and don;t want it to crack up from water under it and freezing
If not. how long should I wait to seal it ? or should I recoat it with another inch. I really dont want to BUT if I have to for it to be wright I will. I already have between 3-4 inches on it.
Also the sides of the blacktop should I bank them with dirt to keep the rain from going under and washing it out
Anyone that can help me I would deeply appreciate it.
 

Last edited by stickshift; 10-02-07 at 05:54 AM. Reason: Removed email address - for your safety
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Old 10-02-07, 05:31 AM
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Welcome to the forums

Generally you are supposed to wait a year before sealing asphalt..... but it obsorbing water can't be good.

20+ yrs ago when I lived in fla and they were paving the main highway I was given a partial truck load of asphalt. Because of the power line he couldn't spread it any. It was a small driveway - approx 20'x40' I spread the asphalt with a shovel and wheel barrow and rolled it with my pick up truck It wasn't pretty but I no longer got stuck in the mud when it rained. It took me years to get it decent looking, patching it as I had time and material.

Because it wasn't rolled or packed well, my driveway wouldn't hold water in the low spots so I sealed it within a week and it didn't seam to adversely affect the asphalt.

I don't know if we have any proffesional pavers as members but hopefully someone with more knowledge can give you better info

btw - it was hard lesson learned given a chance to do it over I'd have sent that truck driver packing at least I was still young back then
 
 

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