While you may not realize it, your driveway is the most abused area on your property and it goes unnoticed. We turn a blind eye to problems daily, such as:

-          Year-long exposure to ice, snow, rain and the scorching sun
-          Heavy parked vehicles for days on end
-          Oil, gasoline and other motor fluid leaks that eat away at asphalt
-          UV Ray exposure, leading to Oxidation
-          Daily wear-and-tear

Over time, any combination of these factors slowly eats away at your asphalt, leaving it grey, cracked and looking forlorn. In other words, these harmful factors do major damage to your asphalt driveway over time.  Often times, it takes as little as 5 years for a new asphalt driveway to display symptoms of these problems.  By this time, cracks have already formed, oil stains have sunk in deeply and now you’ve got a problem on your hands.

Sealing your asphalt driveway regularly provides a shield to prevent damage from our extreme Canadian weather conditions.  A properly sealed driveway protects against water or moisture to settle underneath the paved surface, preventing cracks and pot holes.  Sealing your driveway will also protect the asphalt from any motor fluid leaks that would otherwise soak in and eat away at the surface.

While sealcoating your driveway has many protective properties, there is also a huge curb-appeal boost that comes with our service!  By calling us and having your driveway sealed, you will:

-          Prevent asphalt from turning grey and dull
-          Instantly improve the value of your home                                                    -          Prevent cracks, potholes, heaving
-          Protect against damaging UV rays and Oxidation
-          Prevents oil, gas and other fluids from penetrating surface
-          Give your home curb appeal

We use only 100% Undiluted Sealer from McAsphalt Industries Ltd. (mcasphalt.com).  This sealer is a top quality protective sealer that has been specifically formulated to preserve and protect existing asphalt pavements. It is ideal for any asphaltic pavement surface such as driveways, parking lots and walkways.  It is a fuel resistant surface sealant and within as little as a few minutes after installation a tough, but ductile black satin surface protects the underlying asphalt surface from sun degradation and moisture penetration.

Our sealer is an oil-based asphalt emulsion sealer.  It is composed of the same substances as your asphalt driveway, allowing it to do more than just “cover” the surface.  Our Blackmac sealant will actually soak into your asphalt driveway, which will restore colour and life while adding significant protection.

As soon as a brand-new asphalt driveway is laid, it starts to break down. The sun and its UV rays beat down on the surface of your driveway. The constant exposure to these damaging agents will harden and dry the asphalt driveway out, reducing asphalt thickness dramatically and encouraging cracking and potholes.

Over time, the UV rays and the sun will remove all the oil and sands from the asphalt, leaving behind the dry, dull and parched parts.

The oxidation process in asphalt can be likened to the drying of leaves. As a leaf gets older and dries, it becomes brittle, fragile and near impossible not to break. Similarly after oil and sand has been evaporated from the surface of your asphalt driveway, it becomes very brittle and very fragile. At this point your driveway is vulnerable to any of the damaging factors mentioned above.

Oxidation can happen in as little as just five years.  It turns the asphalt from black and healthy to grey and brittle. Having your driveway sealed on a routine basis provides protection from UV rays and the sun, making it difficult to promote the oxidation process.

The most debated subject when it comes to sealing your driveway is almost always this:  “What type of sealant do you use?” or “Which type of sealant is the best one?”.  If you have done research into this subject, you may have found yourself overwhelmed with the amount of information on the issue.

Oil-based Sealers are formulated to penetrate the surface of asphalt. By penetrating the asphalt driveway, it acts as a stain rather than a paint.  This provides more flexibility for the asphalt during freezing and thawing weather conditions.

Oil is a natural component of asphalt, and using a proper oil-based sealant replenishes and rejuvenates asphalt.  Oil-based products are also protective and resilient against petrochemical spills.

Oil-based sealant will not peel, flake or crack. It is absorbed completely by the asphalt driveway and protects from the inside-out.

Acrylic-based Sealers are designed to cover and sit directly on top of the asphalt surface. While these sealants visibly change the appearance of your driveway, the sealant will do major damages to your driveway.

Acrylic sealants act like paint, covering asphalt and not allowing it to breathe properly.  This often leads to surface cracking, buckling and heaving.

Acrylic sealant coats can still be effective in resisting oil and gasoline spills.  But since the product sits on the surface instead of penetrating it, acrylic and cold-tar sealants have a history of flaking, cracking and peeling after drying out in the sun day after day.

The biggest problem that plagues asphalt driveways is cracking. Cracks are the first sign that your driveway is likely being affected by one of the harmful factors that have been mentioned above.

Cracks are extremely dangerous and threaten the structural integrity of your paved surface.  Once a crack has formed, it creates an easy passage for water to pass through.  This water sits beneath the surface, slowly eroding the layers beneath your asphalt.  Before you know it, more cracks have formed and slowly the driveway begins to sag.

To repair cracks, we use a special crack filler which is modified asphalt emulsion crack filler designed for maintenance of asphalt.  Our filler prevents cracks from becoming potholes by sealing them from the weather’s destructive freeze and thaw.

Once coupled with our sealer to finish, your major cracks won’t be a problem anymore.  It is recommended to monitor your driveway for any new cracks or old cracks that are expanding and leaving the filler behind.  Any of these cracks should be treated yearly in order to prevent further and more major damages.