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Driveway Sealing? Let somebody else do it!
08 07 04  9  8
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After three New England harsh winters, my Driveay had started looking
distressed. It was in good condition, but I didn't wanted it to
get in bad shape. I decided it was time to seal it.
My advice: have a professional seal your driveay. Want to know why?
I did considered having someone else perform the job. I got
quotes for $165 for a single coat, and $300 for double coating.
Both included heavy crack filling, washing, and grass edge triming. I thought I could do a better job for less (wrong!)
These are the general steps:
- First step: Trim grass around the driveway. Easy to
do. This is something you want to do frequently to keep your lawn
looking perfect.
- Second step: Powerwash the driveay. Easy to do as
well, if you have the pressure washer (every home should have
one). De-grease, or scrape any areas that may need special
attention.
- Third step: Patch holes and cracks. A little messy, but tolerable.
- Fourth step: Apply sealant: This is where your issues begin!!
What happened the day I started applying sealant? First of all, I
noticed that the single sealant 5gal container didn't covered any
significant ammount of driveway. 8 containers was more like
it: for the first pass.
And I must say it is a messy job: clothes ruined (work clothes),
sticky shoes, and a black substance that sticks to the skin and lasts
for days. On top of that, any sealant that reaches the garage
door, concrete walkays, or garage floor is extremely difficult to
remove. You can do it, but only after using heavy steel brushes,
some detergent, and some help from your pressure washer again.
Then... as if finding enough time to apply the first coat was not
enough, if you decide to apply the second coat you have to find more
time: more time and no rain, a difficult combination. The
process takes about two days of work (half a day for patching, a full
day for first pass, and half a day for 2nd pass).
Total cost: $246. I would have gladly paid the $64 for not having all such mess and lost time.
Next time, hire a professional.
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