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How Often Should You Actually Seal?

Less often than a door-knocker will tell you, and more often than doing nothing.

Updated 2026-07-16

Freeze-thaw is the clock

Southern Ontario cycles above and below freezing repeatedly through winter — that's the mechanism that damages pavement. Water gets into the surface, freezes, expands, and works the aggregate loose. Sealing is how you keep the water out of the top layer.

Over-sealing is a real failure mode

Sealer applied too often, or too thick, builds a coating that cracks and peels off in sheets. It looks worse than an unsealed driveway and it costs money to remove. More coats is not more protection.

How to tell

Look at colour and texture. Asphalt that has gone grey and where you can see individual stones has oxidised and is due. Asphalt that's still black and tight is not. Your driveway is a better guide than a calendar.

This is general guidance for Southern Ontario conditions, not a spec sheet. Product instructions and local rules both change — check the data sheet for whatever is actually going on your driveway.

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