Although the crack filler dries quickly, it may take 48 hours or more to fully cure.
While cold pour crack filler dries in about 24-48 hours, hot pour crack filler is traffic ready in 10-45 minutes, as long as the applied sealant cools down to ambient temperature.
Hot pour crack filling and sealing is generally done on roads and highways and in many cases, on parking lots. Hot pour offers the advantage of quick set times (10 minutes or less). Once the hot pour material cools you can drive on it.
No. Asphalt sealer is a preventive measure. It's not designed to fill cracks and potholes. As the name suggests, its purpose is to seal the surface of your asphalt pavement.
Crack sealing is a more costly procedure for the pavement owner but provides substantial value due to its long life expectancy. While crack filling may only last one or two seasons depending on the cracks activity, crack sealing can last up to 8 years or more and is considered a permanent treatment.
Although 4 to 8 hours is the minimum amount of time you should provide for drying, the longer the better. It can take at least 24 hours for the driveway sealant to cure completely but if you give it 4 hours to dry it should be able to resist the rain and any possible damage that could occur.
Fill any cracks that have appeared and have a professional team come and sealcoat your asphalt. This will help protect it during its adolescence and elongate this period as long as possible. Sealcoating is a standard part of maintenance and should be performed every 3-5 years.
1. APPLYING TOO MUCH SEALER OR THE WRONG KIND OF SEALER. While slathering seal coat over asphalt in a thick layer can be tempting, a “more is better” approach is detrimental to the pavement beneath. Too much sealer can lead to premature cracking, which will shorten the lifespan of your driveway.
Filling Cracks
As we noted above, filling in cracks costs between $1 and $3 per linear foot. However, a professional will charge a minimum service fee to diagnose and repair asphalt driveways. And so, you'll pay an average of $100 to $400 for crack repair on your whole driveway, depending on the severity.
Crack filling is not a structural repair, but it can extend the life of your pavement by sealing the cracks and preventing water from entering. Crack filling costs way less than crack sealing, making it the more affordable option. However, it is not as long-lasting as crack sealing.
Most sealant manufacturers and agencies require a pavement surface temperature of 40 degrees and rising. You should also avoid sealing if rain is expected.
Cracks up to 3/4 inch wide can be repaired with a pourable or tubed asphalt patch product. A tubed product requires a caulk gun for application. Some asphalt crack filler seals cracks up to 1 inch wide.
Seal and Repair Right Away
Seal your asphalt and always make sure you repair any cracks and chips in the asphalt as soon as possible, to prevent them from getting any worse over time and use. Getting your asphalt seal coated every year or so will also make sure your pavement is safe from weather, sunlight, and more.
How many coats of sealer should be applied? Low Traffic such as a typical home driveway, 1 coat is sufficient. Moderate Traffic on a parking lot, 2 coats with a third coat on the entrance and exits. Heavy Traffic 2 coats with a third coat on all travel lanes and roadways.
The sealer is made up almost exclusively of asphalt. The UV rays will attack this thin coating, and it will begin to harden and fail. If you don't take off your shoes when you come into your home, you'll track the asphalt indoors, discoloring vinyl flooring and carpets.
Sealcoat material will not properly adhere to the asphalt pavement if it is wet. Asphalt must be 100% dry in order to apply the material. Sealcoating application and drying do not pair well with rainy or even misty conditions. Rain prevents the coating from drying.
Is asphalt sealcoating necessary? Yes, it is a necessity as you need to protect your valuable asset. If you want your driveway to last, sealcoating is the way to go. Unprotected asphalt leads to cracks and potholes that can severely damage your foundation.
Once the asphalt cracks, water and/or car fluids can seep in and create pools of water underneath the surface. This will lead to more cracking and further damage. Sealcoating will protect against fading, and can even improve the appearance of your asphalt.
Surface Cracks
They are almost always caused by sealer being applied too thick. Surface cracks will always still be visible after sealcoating.
In some cases, a residential driveway will only need one coat of sealant. However, if the asphalt sealcoating has never been sealed before, it may take a second coat to give it the rich, deep finish that most homeowners prefer. A second coat may also be indicated if there is some “unraveling” of the asphalt.
He added that sealing a driveway could yield unwanted consequences: Oil from the bitumen (the black glue that holds the asphalt together) will be tracked into the home, or the sealant could wear away unevenly, making the surface look as if it's peeling.
Sealcoatings applied in two coats dries and cures much better than one thick coat application. Sealcoatings are commonly water-based coatings, which cure through the process of water release (evaporation). Also, sealcoating film dries from top to bottom, meaning top layers dry faster then from the bottom layers.
While we still recommend those with cracks developing try to get their asphalt seal coated before it gets too cold, spring is really the best time for seal coating. It means your driveways and parking lots look great for the entire year, and warm spring weather is the perfect temperature for a well-set coat.
Applying two coats of any sealer will dry and create a better finish much better than one thick coat. These sealers are water based, and they cure and form a film primarily during the evaporation of water from the coating. A thin coat will evaporate much faster and create a single uniform layer.
But if you want to drive on it, then you have to wait a minimum of 12 hours for it to dry and cure. If it's overcast or if rain is in the forecast, then the drying and curing process will definitely take much longer. For optimum results, we recommend that you use your driveway 48 to 72 hours after sealcoat was applied.