I am Braden Hamilton,
and I am the founder of Orca Asphalt Maintenance.
One of our primary services is asphalt seal coating.
I'm going to walk you through how we clean,
repair, and seal an asphalt driveway.
So, typically when we show up on a project,
we assess the driveway, and we see cracks.
Now, cracks are inevitable.
Over time, asphalt moves,
and typically what we see
is cracks down the seams of the asphalt,
which could be in the center of the driveway
or where the driveway meets the road.
So, before we start our seal-coating project,
there is a lot of dirt and debris,
grime, oils that need to be cleaned off.
The reason for this is we want our sealer
to properly adhere to the asphalt.
After the driveway is cleaned,
we then use an oil spot primer
on any spots where oil has been leaked
from out of cars or motorcycles.
This oil spot primer is poured on the spot
and then applied with a broom to work it in.
This ensures that the oil doesn't penetrate through
and that our sealer is able to stick on that surface.
Crack sealing is an essential part of the process,
as it prevents water from penetrating into the asphalt.
That water can wash away the base,
which will eventually lead to asphalt failure.
The asphalt on top can cave in,
and potholes can form,
and much worse issues can arise.
We begin the repair
by ensuring that crack is perfectly clean,
and then we use our push-behind melters,
which melt a rubber compound.
It comes out of the machine
through a spout and into the shoe,
which is then walked along the crack,
filling the void.
This rubber compound is formulated
to expand and contract
with the thermal expansion of the asphalt.
Typically one pass is needed,
but if that crack is large,
we need to go over top of that crack several times
to ensure it's properly sealed.
In the winter months,
the asphalt will contract,
leaving a larger void in that asphalt.
And in the summer, it expands,
leaving the cracks smaller.
We want a compound that can get in there
and expand and contract with that crack,
ensuring that it doesn't open up
and further moisture can penetrate.
The push-behind melter
is heated to 350 degrees Celsius,
which is the perfect temperature for the rubber
to come out of the machine and fill the crack
at a perfect consistency.
Now that we're done repairing the cracks,
we're going to move on
to seal coating the driveway.
Seal coating protects from salt,
UV rays, water penetration,
and many other contaminants.
We use a professional-grade asphalt emulsion sealer
that has compounds that ensure
that it's durable and nonslip.
So in a residential setting,
we use specialized seal-coating brooms.
So the product is applied in lines,
and then we come behind with brooms,
sweeping it back and forth,
working that sealer into the asphalt pores.
Seal coating a driveway is a little bit like a dance.
So we've got typically two people on a project,
and we are working it back and forth,
pulling it down on the edges, working our edges,
and then working the middle all at the same time
so that it cures in beautifully.
So, our sealer is housed in a tank.
We have a pump that pumps it out of the tank,
through a hose, and out of a wand.
Through this wand comes the sealer,
and it is applied in lines.
And then we come behind with brooms,
and we work that sealer back and forth,
back and forth,
working it into the pores
and leaving a perfect finish.
So, when the sealer is applied,
it has a brown color,
and it cures to a jet black.
We chalk-line a perfect line
at the end of the driveways,
and then we mask it off,
so that when we pull the sealer
onto the masking paper
and pull it up at the end,
customers are left with a perfect line.
It will typically take between three and four hours
to walk on the driveway,
but we always recommend 24 to 48 hours
prior to driving.
We recommend that driveways are seal coated
every three to four years.
We recommend getting this process done
in the summer months, as the temperatures
allow it to cure properly and fast.