Should I sealcoat a blacktop driveway?

Just think of it this way roads and highways aren't sealed. My dad had a black top drive for decades and it wasn't sealed.

When a blacktop driveway is new, it’s as black as a moonless night because the asphalt cement has coated all of the sand and stones in the mix. Over time, this very thin coating wears off and you start to see the color of the stones and sand. Don’t discount this distinctive look. So long as the asphalt cement used at the blacktop plant was high quality, your driveway will not fall apart in a few years without sealer. If it does start to crack and crumble, it’s not a lack of sealer; it’s an indication that the gravel base was not installed correctly.

thanks - yes the driveway is grey now. That look doesn't bother me. Seems everyone in my neighborhood seals but then you look at some that have not been sealed in some time, fading and color of black/grey and doesn't really look all that good.

Here is an article that should be helpful https://www.familyhandyman.com/masonry/how-to-seal-an-asphalt-driveway/

Hi Gary,

There is a lot more to that article Mogie used. I think sealing asphalt is more for aesthetics than anything else. It makes it look like new, but you're right, it can discolor floors inside the house if shoes aren't removed. This is only my opinion and I'm sure there are others who will disagree. I will say, that our town DOES seal some of our streets this time of year as part of their maintenance. On the other hand, we only have ours done every 10-15 years and probably don't even need it. So I guess the choice is yours. Wishing you the best.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/where-we-live/wp/2016/08/16/why-sealing-your-blacktop-driveway-is-pointless/

We have been told by the company that did our driveway to sealcoat it every 3 years or so. We were told to initially seal it after the first year. We live in a climate of weather extremes and we have some cracking due to the freezing cycles and some wear from plowing snow and ice. Sealing the driveway does help with water getting down into the cracks and making problems worse. They will apply some thicker sealer in the cracks before the sealcoating material goes on. Granted--you can also do this yourself and we do. It's up to you but we feel that sealcoating our driveway has added years to it's life. In the first 2 days after sealcoating you can track in some product but once it has dried you won't be tracking in anything. Just stay off of it until it's dry.