After telling nomadic driveway sealer guy "Yes, I would like you to seal my driveway" back on July 4th weekend, he came by today. Tonight really. 6 hours from Thunderstorms. And when finished, within 30 minutes, my son has walked poor Pete the dog across it, and the neighborhood feral cats have all signed their name (or mapped their route) on the lower section.



I need a beer.

Assuming it's dry to the touch by the time the storms hit, will I be ok? Do I need to wait until it stops raining + two days for it to cure properly before driving on it? Driveway nomad didn't think so. But I'm pretty sure he was motivated to say whatever he thought would play best to my ears.

An itinerant driveway sealer probably poured used oil on your driveway. If so, rain will begin to remove it right away.

Never, ever hire someone to do work on your home who does not have a legitimate business.

Nomadic driveway sealer guy is an excellent description of many of the ones I have met over the years. Most will stop at the house (we have a fairly long asphalt circle drive) with the very tired story that they just finished with another job in the area and they just happen to have enough sealant in their tank to do our driveway and will happily do it at a discounted price. I've never taken them up on it because they never seem particularly credible. Plus the pricing always seems to be about the same and not a "deal".

Always look for South Carlonia plates. If so his last name will be Williams or Spurlock. If from Travelers Rest SC you have been scammed. Also beware of slick looking dump trucks and trailers with small asphalt spreaders. Not to mention new pickup trucks loaded with Chinese shop Equiptment. These people are Gypsys.

If it's dry to the touch, you should be ok if it rains.

I use a guy that has been in business for 30 years. I couldn't do it myself with the stuff from Lowe's for anywhere near the price he charges me.

quote:

Originally posted by Sigmanic:
... the very tired story that they just finished with another job in the area and they just happen to have enough sealant in their tank to do our driveway and will happily do it at a discounted price.

Yep. We had this guy stop by too. Except dealing with my wife was a new experience for him.

Our guy gets about half-way done, then knocks on the door, tells my wife that the driveway is going to take more sealant than he anticipated, and it's going to be an additional $$.

My wife looks him in the eye and says: This is your business. You quoted me a specific price to do my driveway. If you miscalculated, that's your problem, not mine. I expect the driveway to be done for the original price or I'm calling the police.

We just had ours done by a local guy and we were told not to drive on it or walk on it for 48 hours unless absolutely necessary.

This guy is legit. Been around for years. But his business model is to roam from house to house. I think the material is probably ok. The timing and his schedule keeping is questionable. And my neighborhood animals are NOT cooperating.

quote:

Originally posted by Sigmanic:
Nomadic driveway sealer guy is an excellent description of many of the ones I have met over the years. Most will stop at the house (we have a fairly long asphalt circle drive) with the very tired story that they just finished with another job in the area and they just happen to have enough sealant in their tank to do our driveway and will happily do it at a discounted price. I've never taken them up on it because they never seem particularly credible. Plus the pricing always seems to be about the same and not a "deal".

Very similar to what happened where I work, except it was an asphalt "contractor" who had some left from a job and wanted to repair some rough spots in front of our building. We checked them out and found they were itinerant and had been doing the same scam all over town.

quote:

Originally posted by Sig2340:
An itinerant driveway sealer probably poured used oil on your driveway. If so, rain will begin to remove it right away.

Never, ever hire someone to do work on your home who does not have a legitimate business.

And don't buy meat from some guy in a ratty pickup with a nasty cooler who "just happens to have an order a neighbor didn't want"...

Credible guy with a legit business is in for:

Quality sealer = $3-4/gallon.

Decently cleaned and crack repaired driveway = 5 gallon per 100 sq ft.

Good trustworthy employee = $40 per hour pay, insurance, bennies.

Truck and gear on site = $100 per hour.

Prep work: pressure wash drive, blow dry, fill cracks.

Seal work: 300 sq. ft. per hour (experienced two man crew).

A quality crew will have three guys. One on the pressure wash, one on the blower and broom, and one filling cracks. When they seal, one guy will run the tank or hose and two will run squigee or brooms. They will be slow and meticulous on the cleaning and prep, and haul ass on the sealant. This kind of crew can sometimes - but not always - do a complete driveway in one day, start to finish.

This set-up will usually give you a seal that lasts five to seven years. They will guarantee the work, and you will be able to find them in the phone book or online. You should be able to find examples of their work around town, and references. They will have a local number, not some unheard of prefix on a burner phone.

If your set-up doesn't look something like that, ask yourself why. Ask yourself how. What part of the process are they missing? Did they skip the cleaning or filling cracks? Because sealer doesn't stick to dirt and sealing an existing crack only insures that the water that does get in, can't get out. Did they cut their sealer? Because if you cut it 50/50 with diesel, it still leaves a nice dark coat that will last . . . for a few weeks. Did they hire illegal laborers? Because if they did, they can't get them insured, and guess what happens if they get hurt at your house?

There's a reason this work is expensive, and there's also a reason why there are people around who will "do it" for half the price.

Nomad looking for work? Get the F off my lawn!!!

So it had about 6 hours to dry. It's absolutely down-pouring now. Man I hope it is "set" enough to handle it....

quote:

These people are Gypsys.

The ones around here all seem to be Irish Travelers.

quote:

A quality crew will have three guys. One on the pressure wash, one on the blower and broom, and one filling cracks. When they seal, one guy will run the tank or hose and two will run squigee or brooms. They will be slow and meticulous on the cleaning and prep, and haul ass on the sealant. This kind of crew can sometimes - but not always - do a complete driveway in one day, start to finish.

It takes me a full day, start to finish, working alone. It helps to do some of the prep work the day before, but even if you wash it the day before you will have to blow it again before you start.

30 minutes? No way.

I never buy services door to door.

Period.

 
Our neighborhood streets were professionally chip-sealed by the county a few years ago. About a week later, guy pulls up in a pick-up, with a company name on the truck that was not the same as the contractor who did the street work. Said they had some left-over material on their big truck after doing the neighborhood streets, and offered to do my gravel driveway with it for cheap (Oh really, the truck left a week ago). Neighbors who have had this door-to-door chip-seal job find that a few (two or three) years later, it has potholes in it because it is so thin. Nothing like what the county did to our streets.
 

quote:

Originally posted by r0gue:
This guy is legit. Been around for years. But his business model is to roam from house to house. I think the material is probably ok. The timing and his schedule keeping is questionable. And my neighborhood animals are NOT cooperating.

If he really is legit he should warranty his materials and work.

If the seal he did is so thin, poorly prepped and applied that a house cat walking on it completely removes it, I doubt he will warranty the job. Hopefully I am wrong.

My neighbor owned a large paving company, one of his brothers did sealing on the side, did my drive for $250.00 7 years ago. My neighbor closed his paving company and came over to tell me he'd get my drive sealed for $800.00!! Very neighborly! I was pissed. wife showed him the cancelled check from his brother, he lowered it to $500.00, we agreed. He never did the job!

Late last year a gypsy came by, difference was that he lived in the area, had a legit business of sorts. I'd learned a lot from me neighbor and this guy knew what he was doing. $400.00 later, cracks were sealed, drive coated. Still looks good after a Summer of 100+ degrees evey day.

I've had several guys in the paving business tell me that seal coat is totally useless beyond the cosmetic value.

Chip seal is a different animal, but messy as heck.

If it really helped extend the life of the asphalt, why don't you see county and state road crews out painting it on the highways?