Sealcoating After Care Tips

Sealcoating will fade to a lighter color over time and needs to be re-applied every 3-4 years.


Crack sealing is not an insecticide or herbicide. While we may stop ant hills and vegetation from showing up on your driveway for some time. those pesky ants and small shoots of grass may come back.


We did not and cannot crack seal the gap between your house foundation and driveway. The same goes for a gap between a retaining wall or raised patio and your driveway. Our rubber applicator is incapable of applying rubber when there is an abutting vertical surface directly next to the crack or gap.

Drying Time vs. Cure Time

2-4 hours after we apply sealer it is good against rainfall. Shady areas may need longer.


24-48 hours after we apply sealer you can drive on it.


21 days is the time it takes to fully cure. During this time sealer will darken. Areas such as depressions and wide or deep cracks which have developed hairline cracks due to over application of sealer will become uniform to the whole driveway.


During the 21 day cure lime you may experience tire marks in the sealer. This is normal and they will cure out in time. Aggressive hard turning of tires during cure time may result in permanent tire marks. It is recommended to go easy with tire turning on newly sealed surfaces for the entirety of cure time.

Easy Maintenance to keep your driveway looking fresh.

Avoid chemicals getting on your freshly sealed surface such as waxes, oil and gas, harsh cleaners and fertilizers. Trim edges of overhanging grass and blow off accumulating dirt and silt. Avoid dragging heavy objects across sealed driveway. Plowing may leaves marks. Snow blowing is the best snow removal practice in order to avoid mark ups.

Finished Product Tips and Information

Sealcoating and Crack sealing are considered preventative maintenance and should be done every 3-4 years by a professional.


If you have any major concerns please check this brochure for a quick and easy answer. Contact us for concerns not addressed here.

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Important details about crack sealing

Ginger Cat Sealcoating works extremely hard on every job to clean out cracks of loose debris and vegetation, dry cracks if necessary, and completely seal them with hot rubber.


 A completely waterproofed crack will not always be flush with the surrounding asphalt. That is almost impossible to guarantee given the fact hot rubber will contract as it cools. We will go over deeper cracks up to 3 times with our rubber applicator to assure they are completely sealed and waterproofed. A slightly sunken crack is not a sign of failed crack sealing.

Crack sealing flush with asphalt immediately after application

The cracks that allow water down into the sub grade of the driveway are what we work very hard to clean out and seal with rubber. We will go over larger cracks up to 3 times with our rubber applicator to assure that there is enough rubber in the crack to make it waterproof. While the rubber is still hot we will seal the cracks flush with existing asphalt.

Crack sealing with normal settling due to cooling and contraction

The rubber will eventually start to contract slightly as it cools. On smaller and regular sized cracks this may not be very noticeable. On larger and wider cracks this may result in a small yet noticeable depression where the crack is. It is important to realize this does not mean the crack has opened back up. It is still completely waterproof. Rubber settling as it cools is completely normal and to be expected.

Sealcoating with hairline crack due to drying and curing

When we sealcoat over wider cracks that have settled due to thermal contraction a thicker amount of sealcoating can be left after the finish pass. As the sealcoating dries it shrinks as it evaporates out liquid and leaves the solids behind. On asphalt with no cracks this leaves a thin, extremely durable and beautiful finish. Where sealcoating was left a little thicker, like in a wider crack, that drying/shrinking may cause a hairline crack in the sealer. This is completely normal and not a sign of any material failure. The crack is still completely water proof and the hairline crack will be almost unnoticeable after the 3 week cure time.

Crack sealing SLOWS DOWN more cracking...it cloes not completely stop it.

Waterproofing your driveway by hot rubber sealing the cracks will slow down the aging process tremendously. It will not completely stop cracks from forming in the future. Some cracks that we seal will eventually need to be touched up when we come back to re-seal your driveway after 3-4 years. Remember, our sealcoating and crack sealing services are preventative maintenance. They are not a replacement for actual paving and not something that can be expected to be done once and last forever.

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