Sealcoating in Homestead, FL

Sealcoating is a liquid coating spread over asphalt to protect it. It does not add strength, but it blocks the two things that wear asphalt out in South Florida: ultraviolet light, which dries out the binder and turns pavement gray and brittle, and water, which gets into the surface and works its way down to the base. In Homestead, with strong sun most of the year and close to 60 inches of rain, a sealed surface ages far more slowly than a bare one.

Timing on new asphalt

New pavement has to give off its oils before a sealer will sit right. HomeGuide says give it 3 to 6 months at minimum, and its driveway guide puts a first coat at around the one-year mark. Sealing too early traps oils in the new pavement. After that, plan on resealing every few years. HomeGuide's interval runs 2 to 10 years by product and climate, and an unshaded South Dade drive belongs near the short end.

Weather in the wet season

Sealer has to go on a clean, dry surface and stay dry while it cures. HomeGuide gives 50 to 95 degrees as the workable window and 12 to 72 hours before vehicles can go back on. Homestead's wet season runs from mid-May to early October, and storms often build in the afternoon. During those months we seal early in the day, watch the radar, and move the job if rain is likely before the coating sets. The drier months from late fall through spring are the easiest time to seal.

What we do before the sealer goes down

• Blow off and sweep the surface, and pull grass and weeds from cracks and edges
• Treat oil and fuel stains so the sealer will bond
• Fill cracks with a hot or cold crack filler
• Patch small potholes or soft spots first; sealer will not hold them together
• Mask edges at garage slabs, pavers and curbs

Types of sealer

HomeGuide describes three common families: coal tar emulsion, asphalt polymer emulsion, and latex acrylic. Acrylic costs the most but tends to last the longest. We will tell you which product we plan to use and why. On most residential driveways, two coats give better coverage and wear than one heavy coat.

Commercial lots

For a parking lot, sealing is usually paired with crack sealing and restriping, since fresh lines on a newly sealed black surface are easier to read. Commercial sealing runs about $0.15 to $0.30 a square foot by HomeAdvisor's numbers. Sections are coned off one at a time, and lines go down on the same trip.