Protection & Maintenance
Driveway Sealing & Sealcoating in Ottawa
Driveway Sealing overview
What sealing actually does
Asphalt is held together by bitumen — a binder that oxidises in sunlight and washes out under water and road salt. As it goes, the surface loses its flexibility, greys out, and starts shedding aggregate. That is the raveling you see on an old driveway where the stones come loose underfoot.
A sealcoat puts a protective layer over that surface. It slows UV oxidation, keeps water out of the pores of the asphalt, resists salt and fuel spills, and restores the deep black finish that makes a driveway look maintained. It is the difference between a surface that wears and one that erodes.
What sealing does not do
Sealer is a coating, not a structural repair. It will not fix a driveway that has heaved, hold together a surface that is already alligator-cracked, or correct a drainage problem. Applied over a failing surface it just makes the failure look tidier for a season.
We will tell you honestly which one you have. If your driveway needs repair or resurfacing, sealing it is money spent on the wrong thing — and we would rather say that than take the job.
Preparation is most of the work
A sealcoat is only as good as what it bonds to. Dirt, loose aggregate, moss, oil stains and vegetation in the cracks all prevent adhesion, and sealer applied over them peels within a season.
So most of a sealing job is cleaning: sweeping and blowing the surface down, cleaning out cracks and edges, treating oil spots so the sealer will bond, and letting the surface be genuinely dry before anything is applied.
What's included
- Assessment of whether the surface is a good candidate for sealing
- Sweeping and blowing down the full surface, including edges and cracks
- Trimming back grass and vegetation encroaching on the pavement edge
- Spot treatment of oil and fuel stains so the sealer will bond
- Crack cleaning and filling where needed before sealing
- Even sealer application, cut in cleanly at garages, walkways and borders
- Barricades or tape and clear guidance on when you can use the surface
Start to Finish
What the Process Looks Like
No surprises. Here is exactly how a driveway sealing project runs from the first phone call to the final walkthrough.
Estimate and honest assessment
We look at the condition of the asphalt and tell you whether sealing is the right spend, or whether repair or resurfacing should come first.
Weather window
Sealing needs a warm, dry stretch to cure properly. We schedule around the forecast and will move a date rather than apply sealer into rain.
Surface cleaning
The driveway is swept and blown down, edges are trimmed back, and everything loose is removed so the sealer bonds to asphalt rather than to dust.
Spot treatment and crack work
Oil and fuel stains are treated, and cracks are cleaned and filled so they are not simply coated over.
Application
Sealer is applied evenly across the surface and cut in by hand at garage aprons, walkways, interlock borders and the street edge.
Cure and handover
The area is taped or barricaded, and we tell you exactly when it will take foot traffic and when you can park on it again.
Recent Work
Driveway Sealing in Ottawa
Real Proseal Plus jobs, photographed on site. See more in the full project gallery.
Where We Work
Driveway Sealing Across Ottawa
Our crews cover the entire city of Ottawa, ON and the surrounding area.
- Kanata
- Barrhaven
- Orleans
- Nepean
- Gloucester
- Stittsville
- Riverside South
- Manotick
- Greely
- Downtown Ottawa
Not sure if we reach your area? Get in touch — we are happy to check.
Common Questions
Driveway Sealing FAQs
How often should a driveway be sealed?
Sealing is a repeating maintenance cycle rather than a one-time job, and the right interval depends on sun exposure, traffic, and how much salt the surface sees over winter. A south-facing driveway that gets full sun all day needs it more often than a shaded one. We will give you a recommendation for your specific driveway.
When can I drive on a freshly sealed driveway?
Foot traffic is usually fine after several hours. Vehicles normally wait until the next day, and longer in cool or humid weather. We will give you exact timing before we leave, because rushing it is the most common way a good sealing job gets ruined.
Can you seal a brand-new asphalt driveway?
Not immediately. New asphalt needs a season to cure and release its oils. Sealing too early traps those oils and leaves a soft surface that scuffs and marks. Generally you want to wait until after the first season.
Will sealing fix the cracks in my driveway?
Sealer coats a surface; it does not bridge or repair structural cracking. Narrow cracks can be cleaned and filled as part of the job. Widespread alligator cracking is a base failure, and sealing over it hides the problem for a season without slowing it down.
Does sealing work on interlock too?
Yes, sealing interlock is a different product and a different job, but it serves a similar purpose — deepening the colour, resisting staining, and helping keep joint sand in place. We can quote it alongside driveway work.
What if it rains after you seal?
Rain on uncured sealer will damage the finish, which is why we watch the forecast and will reschedule rather than apply into bad weather. Once fully cured, rain is not an issue — that is the entire point of the coating.
Also From Proseal Plus
Related Services
Driveway Paving
A driveway is the first thing anyone sees and the last thing anyone thinks about until it fails.
Learn moreHot Asphalt Repair
Potholes, cracks and broken edges are cheap to fix and expensive to ignore.
Learn moreInterlock
Interlock is where a property stops looking finished-enough and starts looking finished.
Learn moreReady When You Are
Get a Free Driveway Sealing Estimate
Tell us about your project and we'll book a free, no-obligation on-site visit anywhere in Ottawa.