Driveway sealing in Medicine Hat and Redcliff: timing it around our weather

Driveway sealing is one of those jobs where timing decides whether it works. Put sealer down on a clean drive in warm, dry weather and it bonds and lasts. Put it down in the wrong conditions, or on a dirty surface, and it peels.

When to seal here

Sealer needs warmth to cure — air and surface — and a dry stretch afterward. In Medicine Hat and Redcliff that generally means late spring through early fall. Summer is when sealing works best and also the busiest stretch, so book early. The general calendar is in the blasting season here.

How often

That depends on exposure and traffic. A driveway in full sun all day oxidises faster than one shaded by a house or trees. The useful test is colour and texture: once it has gone grey and the stone is starting to show, the binder is breaking down and it is time.

Prep is most of the job

• Surface cleaning to sound asphalt.
• Cracks cleaned out and dealt with before sealer — here is why.
• Oil spots treated, because sealer will not stick to them.
• Clean edges against the garage, walks and curb.

Sealer over a dirty driveway peels in sheets by spring and looks worse than doing nothing.

Medicine Hat gets more sunshine than most of Canada, and the wind carries grit into every crack. Driveways in the newer, open neighbourhoods on the south side and in Redcliff's newer streets tend to grey faster than sheltered ones in the older parts of town.

When not to seal

If the driveway has alligator cracking, potholes or a soft base, sealing will not save it. We will tell you if it needs patching or an overlay first.