Asphalt Sealcoat: Dos and Don'ts

 

Sealcoating your asphalt driveway is a great way to maintain its look for as long as possible. In fact, sealcoating every two years can more than triple the lifespan of your asphalt driveway. Whether done professionally or as a DIY weekend project, follow these tips to make your sealcoat as effective as possible.

Do regularly wash your driveway.

After your driveway is sealcoated, it is important to keep it clean in order to preserve its appearance. If you notice leaves, dirt, or other debris beginning to cover your driveway, give it a quick rinse with your garden hose to clear it off. If these materials are allowed to build up, they could begin to dig into the sealcoating.

Do stay off the edges of your driveway.

Your driveway is much stronger in the middle than it is on the edges. Asphalt contains no strength of its own and gets its durability from a stone base. When a large amount of weight is placed on the edge, there is a high chance that it will crack. To avoid this, always stay at least one foot away from your driveway's boundaries with your vehicle.

Don't make sharp turns or move wheels while the car is still.

Turning your wheels too sharply, or turning them at all when the car is not in motion will cause gouges in your driveway's surface. Sealcoating contains oils to make it malleable, which leaves it susceptible to damage from the kneading and grinding motion of car tires. These oils will eventually evaporate and the sealcoat will completely solidify, but that process could take up to a full year.

Don't always park in the same spot.

Over the course of several months and years, parking your car in the same spot on your driveway could cause the sealcoating to compress. To avoid this from happening to you, move your car around to distribute usage across the whole driveway. For cars parked for an extended period of time, fire up the engine and move them a few feet forward or backwards every two weeks.

Stasi Brothers is Long Island's oldest asphalt contractor and masonry company, serving Nassau County for more than 50 years. Our high-quality work and satisfied customers are the main reasons that we have an A+ accreditation with the Better Business Bureau. For more information about our company, please visit our website or call 516-997-PAVE.

How To Maintain Your Asphalt Driveway During Winter

Wintertime in the northeast is tough on our homes, cars, and even our driveways. If you have ever noticed potholes in your driveway during the spring, they were caused by the harsh winter environments. Use the following tips to make sure that your driveway looks like you remember it come March.

• Sealcoat your driveway before winter. If it has been more than two years since you've last sealcoated your asphalt driveway, you should do it before the first snowfall of the year. Re-sealing your driveway will restore the protective top layer and help keep water from penetrating the surface of your driveway and causing potholes.
• Keep your driveway clear of snow and ice. After a winter storm, it is important to rid your driveway of snow and ice as quickly as possible. Not only is it a safety hazard, the freezing and thawing process of the water will lead to cracks in your driveway.
• Don't use salt or other deicers. Rock salt and most chemical deicers are harmful to the environment and can corrode your driveway. Instead of using these harsh products, opt for sand – it provides traction on icy areas and absorbs heat from the sunlight to help speed up the melting process.
• Select your shovel carefully. Refrain from using snow shovels with metal blades, as they can damage your driveway by scraping it. Instead, use shovels with rubber blades, as they cause no harm to pavement surfaces.

If you live in Nassau County, New York and are in need of residential or commercial asphalt driveway repair, repaving, or snow removal, call Stasi Brothers at 516-997-PAVE. You can also visit our website for more information or connect with us on social media – we are active on both Facebook and Twitter.

How to Prevent Potholes in Your Driveway

Potholes are not only an eyesore, they are a hazard to your car. Whether on the street or in your own driveway, potholes can cause all sorts of problems including flat tires, rim damage, and steering system misalignment. If you are worried about potholes forming in your new driveway, use the tips in this article to prevent them.

How do potholes form?

Potholes are created when water penetrates the surface of the concrete and freezes. As the water begins to freeze, it expands, causing it to take up more and more space until the pavement is forced to bend and crack in order to make room. When the ice thaws and the water contracts, the pavement contracts too, leaving gaps and cracks on the surface. These cracks continue to get worse as more and more water enters and the cycle of expansion and contraction occurs over and over again. When the weight of an entire car drives over these weak spots, the concrete can't handle the pressure and begins to break one small piece at a time – which eventually leads to the formation of potholes.

How can I prevent potholes in my asphalt driveway?

Now that you know how potholes are formed, you have a better idea of how to prevent them. Some of the best prevention methods that we recommend are:

• Keep your driveway clean. Remember when you were a little kid and your mom told you that if you keep things clean they will last longer? Well, she was right. Keeping your asphalt driveway clean of snow, water, oil, and even yard clippings will go a long way in preserving its appearance.
• Sealcoat often. The first step in the formation of potholes occurs when water penetrates your driveway and seeps into the ground below the concrete. When a driveway is sealcoated, it adds a layer of protection on top which prevents water from passing through. Keeping a good sealcoating schedule will help prevent the seepage of water into your driveway and go a long way in keeping it free of potholes.
• Fix cracks before they become potholes. Potholes don't form overnight, it is a long and slow cycle which must repeat itself several times. Pay attention to your driveway for warning signs that potholes are on the horizon. If you see an area in your driveway cracking, be proactive and patch the cracks up before they turn into something worse.

If your driveway is covered in potholes, a repaving may be the best option. If you live in Nassau County and need your driveway paved, call Stasi Brothers at 516-997-7283. Stasi Brothers is Long Island's oldest and most reputable paving contractor, serving the area and its residents for a proud 52 years. For more information about our company, visit our website or like us on Facebook.

Safe Ways To Handle Icy Sidewalks – Alternatives to Rock Salt

Photo Credit: Flickr user Santheo

Winter weather is now here, and the sub-freezing temperatures provide a problem for homeowners across the northeast – ice. Many people with ice on their driveways or sidewalks use rock salt or chemical deicers to get rid of it, but this is not the best solution. Not only are these products harmful to your pets and the environment, they can also corrode the coating on your asphalt driveway. Instead of rock salt or other chemical deicers, opt for one of the following alternatives:

• Shovel. The blue collar way to deal with an ice problem – with a shovel. If you completely shovel your driveway after a storm, there will not be anything left on the surface to freeze. It may take a little bit of manual labor, but it is free and completely safe for your driveway and the environment.
• Sand. Sand is a great option for providing traction to icy surfaces. While it will not melt the ice, it provides you, your family, and any visitors to your house with a safe way to walk across it. Sand is the best option for traction because kitty litter gets messy in warmer temperatures.
• Safe Paw. Safe paw is an ice melter which has been proven to be safe for children, pets, and the environment. The salt-free formula of this product allows it to quickly melt the ice outside of your home without causing any damage to your concrete or the ecosystem, which is why it was awarded with PTPA's Green Product Seal.

If you have a snow or ice removal problem in Long Island or the New York Tri-State Area, you can rely on the services of Stasi Snow to clear your property. For more information, you can visit our website or call us at 516-997-7283.