Can You Put Driveway Sealer On Gravel? (Find Out Now!)

A gravel driveway that is several years old can begin to look a little sad. Gravel tends to migrate, leaving bare patches or uneven places on your driveway. You can, of course, simply add more gravel to your driveway. However, many people consider applying a driveway sealer on top of their gravel driveway. Is this a viable solution?

You can apply most driveway sealer products to a gravel driveway, but the outcome may be less than satisfactory. The gravel may not provide a suitable base for an asphalt-based driveway sealer. Some epoxy-based driveway sealers can be poured over existing gravel driveways with suitable results.

You probably chose gravel for your driveway for some specific reasons. It may have been the cost that led you to a gravel driveway. However, aesthetics is the biggest reason most people choose gravel for their driveways. In any case, adding a driveway sealer to your gravel drive may not be the solution you are seeking.

Adding a hot asphalt seal coat to your gravel driveway is probably the least expensive option you can choose. It has properties that make it a good solution for sealing a gravel driveway. Hot asphalt sealers are applied while hot. This causes the sealant to penetrate between and around the gravel, creating a denser surface.

This penetrating action creates a more durable, thicker surface than other sealing materials. However, unless your gravel driveway is properly prepared, the end result may be less than satisfactory. You may experience a crumbly surface that rapidly deteriorates as it weathers.

Many asphalt contractors recommend that an extra layer of gravel be applied to the hot asphalt seal immediately after it is applied. This layer of gravel helps build a driveway surface that is more resistant to wear and damage than just the asphalt alone.

Cold asphalt seal products can produce almost as good results as hot asphalt sealers. The major difference between these two types of seal coating is the heat required. Cold seal products don’t need to be heated. These products can be applied directly to your gravel driveway. Cold seal driveway sealers are emulsified asphalt that must cure properly before being used. These products contain chemicals that keep the asphalt liquid until they are exposed to air. Over time, these chemicals leave the asphalt allowing it to harden and set.

Cold seal driveway sealers are much more sensitive to preparation and conditions than hot seal products. Cold seals cannot be applied below a certain temperature. The gravel base must also be properly prepared, or problems will occur. For best results, follow the manufacturer’s application instructions closely.

A relatively new entry into the driveway sealing market is the epoxy-based driveway sealers. These products effectively create a durable driveway surface when properly applied. In practice, the epoxy resin coats and binds the gravel together to form a solid mass.

The epoxy resin is also waterproof. This waterproof element of epoxy resin prevents water from penetrating the gravel, where it can freeze and thaw, creating cracks and potholes. Epoxy resin driveway sealers tend to have a longer lifespan than asphalt-based driveway sealers.

The downsides of epoxy resin sealers are the cost and the need for extensive preparations before applying the epoxy resin. Epoxy resins are more expensive than asphalt sealers. More extensive work is required to prepare the gravel driveway and may even entail setting forms or adding concrete curbs to contain the epoxy resin as it is applied.