Crack filling
Sealer is a coating, not a filler. Open cracks are where the real damage starts.
Water is what destroys asphalt in this part of the country. It runs into an open crack, sits in the base underneath, freezes, expands, and lifts the surface apart from below. By the time you can see the damage on top, the problem has been happening underneath for a couple of winters.
Crack filling is the step that stops that, and it is why we do it before any sealcoat goes down.
How we do it
The crack gets cleaned out first, because filler pushed on top of dirt and loose material does not bond and does not last. Then it is filled so the surface is closed and water has nowhere to run in.
Once the cracks are closed, the sealcoat goes over the whole surface as one continuous skin. Doing it the other way round, or skipping the filling entirely, gives you a driveway that looks good in the photo and opens right back up.
What we cannot fill
Single running cracks, joint cracks and edge cracks fill well. Alligator cracking, where the surface has broken into a web of small pieces, is a different problem. That is the base failing, not the surface, and filler will not fix it.
In that case the honest options are a patch in that section or, if it is widespread, accepting that the surface is at the end of its life. We will tell you which one you are looking at.
About this work
Do the cracks get filled before you seal?
Yes, and it matters. Sealer is a coating, not a filler. If a crack is left open, water keeps getting under the asphalt and the sealcoat sitting over it will not stop that. We fill first, then coat.
Should I seal it or is it too far gone?
There is a point where sealing a surface is just paint on a problem. If the asphalt is crumbling, sunk in, or has alligator cracking across a big area, sealing will not save it and we will say so. Sometimes the answer is a repair in one section and a seal over the rest.
How much does sealcoating a driveway cost?
It comes down to square footage, how much crack filling the surface needs first, and how easy the driveway is to get to. That is why the estimate is free and why we come out and look rather than quote over the phone. Call or text 330-708-9804 and we will get you a real number.
Other things we do
Asphalt sealcoating
A fresh coat that shields the surface from UV, water and oil, and puts the rich black finish back on.
Line striping
Clean, straight parking lot lines. Stalls, arrows, handicap spaces and fire lanes.
Asphalt repair
Patching and repair for the spots that are past sealing, so the rest of the surface keeps its life.
Get a real number for your driveway.
Tell us where you are and what you have. We come out, look at the surface, and give you a price. If sealing is not the right call, we will tell you that too.