It depends on the amount of direct sunlight and traffic an area gets. A surface should not need sealcoating more than every three or four years. If a driveway has been sealcoated too many times, it becomes very slick and smooth when it rains.

No. As Henry Ford said,” You can have it in any color you want, as long as it is black.” A more environmentally friendly light grey sealer (less heat retention) has been under development for commercial uses however it’s very expensive and has not been utilized extensively.

Besides color, we believe this is a question of personal taste. There are two primary differences. 

1. Asphalt is a flexible surface that can flex with use and slight movements of the base.
2. Concrete has its internal strength to absorb loads and bridge weaknesses in the sub-base. It also costs significantly more than an asphalt surface of comparable strength.

Yes. If the concrete has not deteriorated too much, there is a caveat. Concrete has expansion joints and when the concrete “moves,” it reflects up through the asphalt and cracks. Driveways can put a special paving fabric over the joints to retard this cracking, but eventually it will show through. An alternative option is to excavate the entire concrete drive and rebuild an asphalt or concrete drive from the base up. This is an expensive proposition.

A properly installed asphalt driveway can last up to 20 or even 30 years with proper maintenance and upkeep.