Key Questions To Ask Before Hiring Your Driveway Sealcoating Contractor

Consider these questions to make the best choice when it comes to finding a contractor.

1. Are you a licensed and insured contractor in Maryland?

Contractor regulations and licenses are issued by the Maryland Home Improvement Commission. It is critical you hire a licensed professional because, as a homeowner, you will be protected under the Home Guaranty Fund. The fund protects against “actual loss,” or in other words, incomplete or poor-quality work done by licensed professionals.

Additionally, any contractor performing work on your property should be properly insured with both business liability and workers compensation policies. This will give you peace of mind that if anything goes wrong, or the unexpected occurs, you are protected against any liability.

2. Do you send an invoice after the job is completed or do you require money/cash up front?

A contractor should understand that your time and convenience are valuable. Make sure a proposal clearly stating the scope of work will be sent to you. Licensed contractors are limited to a maximum one-third deposit before the work begins, which is regulated by the Maryland Home Improvement Commission. For our residential jobs, we only require this for projects over $1,000. 

3. What material do you offer to your customers?

Your driveway is one of the first things people see and serves as the “welcome mat” to your property. Make sure you understand what is being applied to your driveway and how.

A quality asphalt emulsion sealer mixed with sand and fast-dry additives will properly protect and beautify your driveway against harmful elements by forming a protective film on the surface of the asphalt pavement “aggregate.” These sealers are manufactured from byproducts of the petroleum distillation process with water to achieve the proper viscosity. This also means asphalt emulsion sealers are environmentally friendly since no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are given off as the water evaporates from the sealer during the drying process.

Stay away from contractors trying to sell you on an “oil based” sealcoating application, which means receiving an inferior asphalt byproduct called “Gilsonite,” which looks shiny but provides no protection for your driveway. Gilsonite is often spray applied and cut with environmentally harmful solvents that evaporate and eventually leave your driveway more brittle than before. Beware of many paving companies that will try to upsell you on sealcoating immediately following installation of a new driveway.

Contractors should avoid applying “coal tar” emulsion sealers as they have been banned in Maryland and Washington, D.C.

4. What is the expected wear life of your materials?

When hiring any contractor for your property, communication and setting expectations from the initial contact can make or break the experience. While prep work and overall quality of the job play huge roles in how long the sealer will last, let’s face it – nothing will last forever. Areas with oil stains, heavier tire turning loads, standing water, or even areas more susceptible to falling tree debris may begin to show signs of wear first.

We recommend having your driveway sealed every two to three years on average, depending on how frequently it has been sealed in the past. Newly paved driveways with a more porous surface will need to be sealed again following the first application within a shorter time frame compared to a driveway that has been repeatedly sealed.

5. What type of equipment do you use to apply materials?

When applying pavement sealers to an asphalt surface, for both residential and commercial applications, it’s imperative your contractor is prepared for the job. Proper mix designs require the addition of silica sand into the sealer mix to add wear resistance and traction. The sealer must be continuously agitated prior to application to ensure the sand does not settle to the bottom. A 300-, 550- or 700-gallon tank trailer with hydraulic agitation control is often used by legitimate sealcoating contractors.

6. What other jobs have you completed in the area recently, specifically in the past three years?

Ask your contractor for references within the community, look for reviews online, and check around for examples of job pictures to know what you will get with your service. Do your homework. Check other online sources like the Better Business Bureau.

7. What do you do to prepare the surface prior to sealing it?

Proper cleaning and prep work can make or break a quality sealcoating job. The sealer needs a clean surface to properly bond to.

Your sealcoating contractor should perform an assessment of the existing asphalt surface to evaluate what prep work and repairs are necessary prior to applying sealer. Any adjacent lawn or mulch areas should be edged back to expose the outside edges of your driveway. In some cases, pressure washing may be required to clean off heavy surface dirt and debris.

Following pressure washing, steel carbon brooms and industrial blowers should be used to clean any remaining dirt as well as clean out larger open driveway cracks. The entire driveway is then blown off carefully to remove every loose piece of stone, dirt, leaf, etc.

A chalk line is snapped at the driveway end, so a detailed straight edge is left where the sealcoating application starts and stops. Lastly, oil stains should have a spot primer applied to them to encourage better adherence.

8. Will anything be placed to cordon off the driveway and how long do I need to remain off of it once you’re done?

Although we can all admit nobody really likes to wait, it’s critical your sealcoating application be left to dry and begin to undergo the curing process. Depending on the time of year and sun exposure of your property, this can be anywhere from a recommended 48-72 hours before returning your vehicles to the driveway. You will want to gently turn your tires for the first week or two to avoid tire marks while the newly applied sealer is most heavily curing.

Caution tape attached to stakes will be installed at the driveway entrance to close it off once the job is completed.

For additional information about asphalt maintenance services, go to www.truseal-asphalt.com.