Surface Pro Quality

Driveway Sealing

When is the best time to have my driveway sealed?

Spring, Summer, or Fall. No matter which season you think is best, you will be protecting your driveway from water, ice, salts, UV rays, and traffic wear while revealing curb appeal. Which time is the best to seal in Long Island, NY? Well, sealing in the Spring is very common. Sealcoating in the spring gives you a beautifully clean and black driveway for the remainder of year. With cooler temperatures, the sealer has some time to self level during the drying period creating a nice even coating. Sealing in the hot summer environment is optimal for a proper sealant cure. Sealing protects the driveway from harmful UV rays and water blasting downpours of summer. Sealcoating in the fall has some benefits because of the cooler weather. Application is easier when cool and drying times are elongated allowing sealer to dry more even than in summer months. Sealing in the fall helps prevent water from seeping into crevices and cracks with a fresh protective coating before winters wrath.

How do we apply sealer?

Brushed, not sprayed! We hand apply and pride ourselves on leaving your property, stone borders, aprons, Belgium blocks and garage doors how we found them- Clean!

Do you pressure wash our driveway prior to sealing?

We do not pressure wash asphalt as part of our preparation service. Pressure washing is an additional service. High pressure on asphalt is never a good idea as it will score and remove a fine layer from the driveway. A light pressure to remove dirt is okay but never high pressure.

How do you prepare the driveway for sealing?

We start by cleaning out debris and dirt from cracks. We wire brush off any dirt and sand attached to the driveway. After this is accomplished we remove any debris and vegetative growth from the borders. We then fill the cracks and start the sealcoating process.

When should I seal my new driveway?

A new driveway should be sealed after 1-3 years depending on wear and weathering. Sealing extends the life of your driveway at a fraction of the cost to replace. It rejuvenates old driveways to a brand new look with a flat black finish. It protects and repels water, ice, salts and oil.

Why is my driveway cracking?

Three things that always hold true is death, taxes and cracks in asphalt. Kidding aside, driveways crack for a multitude of reasons. Long Island, NY climate adds to the problem. Suffolk County, NY has wet cool springs, humid summers, cool wet falls and cold snowy winters. Large temperature and humidity swings expand and contract asphalt to its breaking point. Moreover, low quality asphalt applied uneven or thin cannot hold the weight of vehicles and thus cracks occur. Likewise, asphalt laid down with a roller that is underweight doesn’t compact the asphalt tightly leaving room for cracking. In addition, the base could’ve been too thin or never left to settle and compact fully. Tree roots are a very common cause of driveway cracking and up lifting. One of the more common and less apparent reasons a driveway cracks is water. Water can drain from higher landscapes or in crevices butting up to the foundation and under the driveway thus undercutting the base. The hollowing out underneath eventually collapses and creates the alligator cracks. Sometimes water becomes trapped below and begins evaporating and over time these spots become vents, aka cracks. We offer a fully array of crack filling and repair services to help hide and slow the growth of cracks.

Is sealing environmentally friendly?

Unlike Coal Tar Asphalt Sealer, our Asphalt Emulsion Sealer is environmentally friendly and made from the same basic compounds your asphalt driveway is comprised of. It contains no Volitile Organic Compounds or VOC’s and has very low odor and no skin irritants.

How long does it take to dry?

Our Ashphalt Emulsion Sealer takes 8-24 hours before you can drive on it.  If required, we utilize a fast drying additive that expedites the drying process.

What happens if you get sealer on my pavers or house?

Sealer can be very unruly and mistakes happen to the best of us. Luckily, our technicians carry a handy spray bottle to quickly dilute and disperse mistakes leaving your home as we found it.

Can we sealcoat cement?

No, but our power washing and soft washing unit can make quick work of your dirty cement leaving it bright and clean.

When is a good time to reseal?

Typically 1-3 years is the normm, however, every driveway is different and wears accordingly to its environment. High traffic and heavily shoveled/plowed driveways may need yearly application. 

Do I need two coats of Sealer?

Badly pitted driveways and extensively “spider cracked” driveways may need two coats for additional protection.

Do you fill cracks?

Yes, cracks are hand filled depending on size, with either a hot liquid crack filler or a trowable fiberglass filler.

Discounted Spring and fall applications available.

Pressure/Soft Washing

What do I need to do before my House Wash Service?

There are a few preparations that you should do to prepare for a house soft wash service.

1. Step one is to make sure the water is on for the service technician to run the machines.

2. Secondly, run a cycle on your irrigation the morning or night prior to service and one later that night.

3. Next, and we can emphasize this enough; please pick up after your animals so the service technicians don’t get it on their hoses.

4. Remove all obstructions off the siding, including furniture, ornaments, and any delicate items or materials. Wood furniture should be moved well away from the area to be cleaned. A clear path should be available around the enire house.

5. Remove all screens so windows and sills flush clean.

6. Cut back any shrubs, trees or plants that lay on the house can block our ability to clean.

Will I receive a free Estimate?

Yes, our qualified technician and owner will complete a walk around with you to discuss the cleaning.

Roof Cleaning: What's eating my roof?

The main culprit for dark stains on your roof is a Gloeocapsa Magma. This is an algae that grows in hot, humid, shaded areas. If left unchecked, moss, lichen and damaging organic build up from our oak trees will hold moisture, causing leaks and reducing the life of your roof. Did you know that the fungus can move from one neighbors roof to another. Yes it is airborne and can transfer like a virus rooftop to rooftop.

Will the solution you use cause damage to my plants?

We are very careful to take care of your plants and gardens. Pre rinsing, post rinsing, rinsing during service and covering specialty plants is our priority. I treat your home as I would treat my own. Running a cycle on the irrigation system prior and post a service is recommended.

What does House Washing entail?

A soft wash treatment of your homes siding eliminates organic growth, removes dirt, mold, pollen and spider webs. Our detailed service deep cleans even where you would never see. The service includes cleaning of all siding, soffits, gutters and foundation below siding. We go the extra mile and clear out j channels so your siding drains water properly.

What are the usual problems with homes?

On vinyl siding, Algae growth, dirt, mold and oxidation from UV or low quality siding can occur. Oxidation occurs mostly on the southern exposed siding where it gets constant sun. Lack of UV inhibitors from the siding manufactures is a general cause. Symptoms look like a faded white chalky residue. a quick swipe of the finger will often show it immediately. A different cleaning solution and technique can be applied to remove and restore color back to like new.

What are the black dots on my siding and fences?

Shotgun Fungus is small black spots spread across siding and fences. The fungus is prevalent above mulch beds and unfortunately, complete removal is not possible.

Can the black stripes on my gutters be cleaned?

Gutters often show tiger striping. While most gutters come clean, some have oxidation and electrostatic stains that appear after cleaning masking dirt and algae. Gutter brightening is an additional service where we apply a specific solution with a soft brush and remove the black stains. Quality gutters tend to stain less and show less tiger striping/ghosting after cleaning.

Why are my pavers white and hazy?

New pavers often effloresce or bloom out minerals for the first year after installation. Efflorescence generally is a whitish haze that covers all pavers. No need to worry, rain will wash away the mineral deposits within a year however covered areas may continue to show the haze for many years. Luckily, we can treat and remove the stains. In other cases, it is not efflorescence but another removable mineral buildup. Unfortunately, efflorescence can stem from a cement pad below thats holding water and it creates a hard whitish residue in paver joints. It is a very difficult issue to resolve. It generally cannot be fully removed and may reoccur.

Can you clean my concrete and pavers?

Yes, concrete and pavers will be pressure washed/surface cleaned and treated to kill any organic matter with our soft wash solution. Amazing results!

Can you clean my wood deck?

Yes, stained decks will be stripped to remove stain and neutralized to restore the brightness. Soft wash solution and low pressure wash is often applied to remove algae build up to restore your deck and ready it for staining.

Do you install Joint Sand and Seal Pavers?

Yes, we do clean, install joint sand and seal pavers. We install Polymeric joint sand and we seal pavers with a top of the line two part Urethane sealer. In fact, we are professionally trained sealing technicians.

How soon after installation can I seal my Pavers?

We can generally seal pavers after 1 year or when there are no signs of efflorescence present.