I hired a company to seal my asphalt driveway. What they do is to spray tar-based sealant on the driveway.

The job was done 8 days ago and it was shiny. Ahough I was told not to drive on it for 24 hours, I did not drive on it for 2.5 days.

I finally drove my car into the garage at the 3 day. I found some tire marks on my driveway. I thought it was just dirt and I cleaned it with a microfiber towel. After it was dried, I found these areas are not shiny anymore, they are kind of matte black. So, my driveway has kind of uneven shine to it.

Today (after 8 days) was a very hot day and the outside temp reached 31C (88F). My friend came to visit me with a full loaded trunk (F150) and parked on my driveway for a few hours. When he left, I found 2 new tire threads on my asphalt. I can feel the threads with my fingers. Do this have something to do with the hot weather today?

What can I do with these tire patches? Will they go away in time? Also, will the driveway remain shiny?

 

I doubt that the patches will disappear & I doubt that the driveway will remain shiny. You might as well call the company.

 

Did they just spray the sealer or did they apply it by spray and then work it in with a squeegee? Spray alone does little more than color the asphalt.

 

They just sprayed, no squeegee.

I read that this might happen in hot days, the heavy trucks would leave track marks on the asphalt. Not sure if this is true. Also, one of my friends told me that one time, his car (sedan) pulled out some of the asphalt, ended up with 4 holes on his driveway. He blamed that in very hot days and winter tires.

I am wondoering if there is any way to fix it. Or it will level out in the next hot days.

 

I think your friend's asphalt lifting was more an issue of bad asphalt than the fault of the sealer and hot weather.

IMO your driveway should be resealed, this time using a squeegee to work the sealer into all the pores. A roller might also work ok. When you just spray on the sealer, the sealer lays on top of the asphalt and doesn't do much in the way of sealing it.

 

I suspect the tire track issue is because of too much sealant (too thick). This is why I am hesistant to ask for a re-spray. I read that too much sealant is no good for the driveway.

On the other hand, the newest tire patches (by the heavy F150) occurred 8 days after the inital application. The company told me that I could drive on it after 24 hours. This occurred after 8 days!

Is it true that on a hot day, the tires can stick to the asphalt?

 

Asphalt gets hot from the sun, especially when the pavement is extra dark like it is when new or freshly sealed. Unless you are having extremely hot days - I wouldn't blame the heat.

It's true that you don't want too much sealer applied but the sealer doesn't do a lot of good if it doesn't fill the pores/crevices in the pavement.

 

The driveway was freshly sealed so it is easy dark. Also, yesterday was real hot, 88F and 102F with humidex.

I am looking for ways to fix this. Hoping there is some kind of solvent that can remove sealant so I can reapply it locally.

 

Paint thinners, kerosene and gasoline all can dissolve asphalt, a small amount might soften up the sealer. Not something I've ever had to do but maybe spraying on some thinner with a pump up garden sprayer and then working the sealer around with a broom or squeegee would soften the sealer and allow it to seep into the pores of the asphalt - be sure to test a small area first!!!

 

IMHO just let it go until next year. Let the winter wear it out. Next time use a squeegee. If you try to fix it now you'll most likely make it worse.

 

Good to know that paint thinner, kerosene can soften up the sealer. Thanks.
Not sure I will do it. The residual of the chemcial may harm the asphalt underneath. Also, as per Norm210, it is likely that I will make it worse.

A friend suggested to buy some asphalt sealant from Home Depot and applied to these 2 tire patches locally. I am concerned that the 2 sealants may not mix and again, the sealants will definitely be too thick in these 2 areas.

 

I don't know for a fact that paint thinner will soften up the sealer but I suspect that it will.

The main drawbacks of sealer being too thick is the increased drying time and sometimes it will cause the tires to squeal when turned over thick sealer. I'm not sure touching up select areas with a different sealer will look any better than leaving it as is.

I like Norm's suggestion of leaving it be and then resealing it next yr. Sealing pavement isn't an overly complicated job .... especially if you don't mind getting dirty/sweaty.

 

What's wrong with my suggestion to call the company? Let them fix it.

 

I think he did and they kind of passed him off.

 

I did call the company and they don't know more than you guys. This is a company who hire students in the summer to do aeration, window cleaning and asphalt sealing. They go door-to-door in the neighbourhood. My original idea was what could go wrong to apply sealant! I did it myself years ago, it was easy, just a lot of work and very messy!

They did offer to re-spray but I am concerned about too much sealant on my driveway. I suspect they already applied too much sealant in certain areas already.

 

There's also the possibility that an inferior (less expensive) product was applied, instead of one with a proven track record used by professionals in the business.

 

Not sure if they use the proper sealant. Below was extracted from their website:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An annual treatment with a proper sealant material is the #1 way to prolong the lifespan and maintain the appearance of your asphalt driveway. The natural oxidation process is constantly eroding your driveway and the chemicals it comes in contact with (gasoline, engine oil, transmission fluid, antifreeze, etc.) only accelerate the process. The erosion process must be averted or it will lead to crack formations, heaving, pot-holes and eventually a major bill for a new driveway! Unlike other sealants on the market, Property Stars' high quality tar-based sealant will not be dissolved by petroleum products and will protect your pavement by keeping the damaging factors out while replenishing your asphalt's natural elastic properties.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Because of the shine, I doubt if they used tar-based product on my driveway. I read the that tar sealant is supposed to be matte-black.

I read that 2 coats of sealant is better than one coat and the sealant should be applied every 2-3 years. Is it OK to apply the 2nd coat weeks after the 1st coat?

 

Most companies that seal driveways will say it needs to be done every year .... but that's how they make their money. IMO every 2-3 yrs is about right although some driveways seem to need it sooner than others. The main thing is to prevent the asphalt from getting dry and brittle.

While I have sealed driveways occasionally, I'm not an asphalt sealer expert. I used to have a neighbor that was in that business but he moved. I'm not sure that I buy their statement Unlike other sealants on the market, Property Stars' high quality tar-based sealant will not be dissolved by petroleum products Tar and by extension tar based products can be dissolved by petroleum based thinners. I would assume the manufacture puts additives in the mix to help combat that but I still think that thinner or gas would have a negative effect on the sealer.

 

So, should I ask the company to come to spray a thin coat?

 

I would ask them to strip the sections that have too much sealer before they spray anything.

 

As others have commented, it sounds like your college kids spray-applied the sealant way too thick. I'm far from an asphalt driveway expert, but the several that I did seal always performed well, using an oil-based product poured directly onto the driveway, and then worked into the pores using vigorous action with street brooms. No tracking or any problems whatsoever, even when parking my 3/4-ton Dodge Ram on them (once with a 6000-lb. load of plant mix in it [made possible by air-springs], just a week or so after sealing).

I'd tell the applicator to make it right, or plan to see me in small claims court.

 

i'm on bdge's bench on this thread,,, even IF a pvc-based sealer was used @ proper rate of .5 gal per sy, you sould've been able to drive on it the next day,,, i have NO idea how to remove excess but a layer of sand should be a help let us know how this turns out ( ie, what the judge says ! )

 

..... and the sealer should not be just sprayed on! For the sealer to be effective it needs to be worked into the asphalt, normally that's done with a squeegee but a roller also works. I'd never heard of anyone using a push broom before but that would also work the sealer into the asphalt. It's ok to spray it on as long as you go behind the spray with the squeegee or other method to work in the sealer.

 

Too bad. I am hoping there is an easy way to remove these 2 tire prints without the risk of making it worse.

There is no point to contact the company. There are nice people but no expert in asphalt.

 

One of my freinds suggested I could use a blow torch to melt the sealant to even out the tire thread.

What do you think?

 

Might work but it would be risky - both the sealant and the asphalt can burn.

 

Shop BLACK JACK 12.6-oz Liquid Multi-Surface Remover at Lowes.com

What about something like that? Then scrape it or try a scrub machine with a black pad.

 

Flame on asphalt is asking for problems. Far better to try using a heat gun on the spots you want to "un-wrinkle", followed by a few strokes with a wide, flexible putty knife.

 

Heat gun? Like a hair dryer?

 

Yes, like a hair dryer. But carrying a bit (or a lot) more oomph.

 

The company called and offered a re-spray. After 2 weeks of sun and rain, the driveway actually looks OK besides the 2 tire marks and a tape mark near the middle (light color, no idea why). It is no longer shiny with a matte black finish.

No idea what to do.

 

Try one of the many products available, to remove the excess sealer, then let the company respray.

 

I would suggest you do nothing this year. Wait next winter is over and ask the company to respray come late next spring. You're only going to make a bad situation worse. Give it time ware down.

 

I agree with letting it weather for a year! Not sure I'd go back with the same company unless they are willing to work the sealer into the asphalt - spraying alone is not the proper method for sealing asphalt.

 

I would have the company fix the job now, while it's still fresh in their minds. Do what you can to remove the excess & let them do it now.

 

The company would do the re-spray now but not next year. If I have to pay for it, I surely will not ask the same company again.

The problem is I do not see which areas have too much sealant. I see these 2 areas because of the tire marks made by my friend's F150 (with a ATV on the trunk bed).

 

Trust what you see. Try to correct those two areas & let them respray ASAP.

 

Pulpo: Is there any reason why the re-spray should take place ASAP?
It will be like a second coat, my research tells me that we should put 2 coats of sealant anyway.

 

I've never known of anyone [professional or home owner] that applied 2 coats. 1 fluid coat applied correctly is enough.

 

Ask the company if they will remove it.

I just think another coating at this time of year with very hot weather still to come will make for too thick a layer and my be very sticky on those days. Especially in direct sunlight and if any vehicle should park on it.