Meridian Sealcoating
Sealcoating in Meridian, Idaho
Two sprayed coats of asphalt emulsion, cracks filled first, backed by a one year warranty. Our office is here in Meridian.
What sealcoating does, and what it does not
Worth being clear about this before anything else, because a lot of money gets spent on the wrong thing.
Sealcoating puts a protective layer over asphalt so that daily traffic wears the coating instead of the pavement underneath it. It does not repair anything. Cracks stay cracks, potholes stay potholes, and a low spot will still be a low spot after we leave. What it does is stop what you already have from getting worse.
"In my opinion, seal coating is like a protective barrier on top of your asphalt. The seal coat has to wear off before the daily traffic starts eating away at your asphalt."
Gideon Duarte, Co-OwnerSealed and crack filled on schedule, an asphalt driveway should last north of twenty years. Left alone, the end of that road is a full tear out and repave, and asphalt is running north of $4 a foot.
Why Meridian asphalt needs it
Freeze and thaw
Meridian has no active weather station of its own, so the nearest long record is Boise Air Terminal. It shows roughly 100 nights a year that drop below freezing and warm back above it. October averages 3.3 freezing nights and April 4.5, which are exactly the months when sealer can freeze before it has finished curing.
Water that cannot drain
Meridian sits on silt loam over a cemented duripan twenty to forty inches down. Water gets into the silt and then has nowhere to go, so it sits there and freezes. The Idaho Department of Water Resources found that canal seepage and irrigation infiltration are the largest component of recharge to the valley's shallow aquifers. Sealing the surface will not change that, but keeping water out of the cracks is the part you control.
What it costs in Meridian
| Residential sealcoating | $0.20 - $0.60 / sq ft |
|---|---|
| Minimum job | $450 |
| Typical driveway, all in | $450 - $800 |
| Reseal interval (Residential) | Every 3 to 5 years |
| Reseal interval (Heavy Commercial) | About every 2 years |
The all-in figure includes cleaning, crack filling and two sprayed coats, plus the one year warranty.
What moves it within that range: size, how dirty the surface is, and how accessible it is. A driveway that has gone eight years and needs wire brushing across half of it takes longer than one that can be blown clean.
The $450 minimum covers the material, the time to go and get it, and a portion toward overhead, which is trucks, trailers, skid steers and insurance. It is why a very small job does not cost proportionally less.
What we put down
Asphalt emulsion sealer, not coal tar. We use SealMaster MasterSeal, which is manufactured at their Boise plant, the only SealMaster location in Idaho. Two pounds of sand per gallon, mixed at the supplier. Two sprayed coats on every job, with the edges cut in by hand.
Why two coats, and why sprayed?
One coat wears through faster and it is the most common corner cut in this trade. We spray both coats on every job regardless of size.
And the equipment matters more than people expect. A contractor working out of a fifty five gallon drum on the back of a truck has no way to agitate the sealer. Without agitation the solids settle to the bottom, and what goes on the back half of your driveway is not the same material that went on the front.
"You're basically applying black water."
Gideon Duarte on thin, unagitated sealcoat
How the job runs
Debris cleared from edges, curbing and anywhere the surface meets something else.
Surface cleaned with walk-behind blowers, wire brooms and backpack blowers until sealer will actually bond.
Cracks filled with hot-pour sealant and given time to cure. Cracks get filled before sealcoating, never after. Sealing over an open crack traps water underneath it.
The first coat of asphalt emulsion is sprayed evenly across the pavement.
Edges cut in by hand for precision, then the second coat is sprayed to lock it in.
Work we have done in Meridian
Cherry Lane Apartments
About 50,000 square feet. Cleaned, crack filled, sealcoated, potholes patched and striped, the whole complex in two days with a three man crew. A repeat customer, Table Rock Property Management.
Heron Village Apartments
About 73,850 square feet cleaned, crack filled, sealcoated and striped, including more than 150 numbered stalls and about 5,000 linear feet of red curbing. Heron Village is in the same ZIP code as our office.
Questions we get
How much does it cost to sealcoat a driveway in Meridian?
Between $450 and $800 for a typical residential driveway, all in, which includes cleaning, crack filling, two sprayed coats and a one year warranty. The rate runs $0.20 to $0.60 per square foot with a $450 minimum.
How often should I sealcoat my driveway?
Every three to five years. Commercial lots taking heavy vehicles daily want it about every two.
When is it too cold to sealcoat in Meridian?
We need it above about 40°F for most of the day, with around 80°F being ideal. Sealer that freezes before it cures does not recover, so late fall gets risky here.
How long before I can drive on it?
Foot traffic in about two hours. Vehicles at twelve hours, and twenty four hours to keep the warranty.
Do you fill the cracks first?
Always. Cracks get cleaned and filled before any sealer goes down. Sealing over an open crack traps water underneath it.
Will sealcoating fix my cracks and potholes?
No. Sealcoating protects the surface, it does not repair it. Cracks need filling and failed areas need patching, and we price those separately and tell you which one you are looking at.
Is coal tar sealer better?
We use an asphalt emulsion sealer rather than coal tar.
Get a free estimate in Meridian
Our office is on Thornapple Drive, ten minutes from most of the city. Tell us what the driveway or the lot looks like and we will come measure it.