Blacktop is a fantastic surface for driveways and parking lots throughout Long Island.
Reitman Sealcoating, Inc. offers blacktop service throughout Long Island. From blacktop paving to repairs, we have the years of expertise to do your Long Island blacktop job right. Bob Reitman has president and founder, started in the trade in 1977 and has 49 years of paving and sealcoating experience, and we have served more than 14,000 Long Island customers. Call (631) 549-5455 or request a free written quote.
The Life of a Blacktop Driveway
A blacktop driveway is not a one time purchase. How long it lasts depends on what happens in the years after it is paved. This is what good care looks like, from the first day on.
- The first months: let it cure. New blacktop stays a little soft while it cures. Avoid turning your steering wheel while the car is standing still, and keep kickstands, trailer jacks and ladder feet off the surface or put a board under them.
- One year: the first sealcoat. Do not seal a new driveway right away. New blacktop needs a year to cure. Once it has cured, the first coat of sealer protects it from sun, water, salt, gas and oil.
- Every two years: reseal. After the first coat, plan on resealing every two years under normal conditions. After a particularly hard winter it may need attention sooner. See Sealcoating.
- As needed: fix small problems while they are small. Water getting in through a crack is how potholes start. A break that is hot patched this year does not become a failed section next spring.
- Much later: resurface or replace. When the surface is worn out but the base is sound, a new layer of blacktop can go over the old one. When the base has failed, the driveway is replaced. See Blacktop Paving.
What Shortens the Life of Blacktop
- Water. It gets into cracks, freezes, expands and breaks the pavement from below. Long Island winters cross the freezing point again and again, and every cycle does damage.
- Sun. Sunlight dries out the binder that holds blacktop together. That is why an unsealed driveway fades from black to gray and turns brittle.
- Gas and oil. Drips from cars soften and dissolve the binder.
- Salt and plows. Road salt and plow blades are hard on any surface, and hardest on one that is already cracked.
- Unsupported edges. Driving off the side of the driveway breaks the edge. A Belgian block border prevents it.
Blacktop Driveway Questions
How do I make my blacktop driveway last longer?
Keep water out of it. Have it sealcoated one year after paving and then every two years, and have cracks and small breaks repaired before winter so water cannot get under the surface.
When should a new blacktop driveway be sealed?
Not right away. New blacktop has to cure first. We recommend the first coat one year after paving, then every two years after that.
Why is my blacktop driveway turning gray?
Sun and weather dry out the surface and wear away the black binder, exposing the stone. Sealcoating restores the color and protects the surface. See Color of Blacktop Driveways.
Do cracks mean my blacktop driveway needs to be replaced?
Usually not. If the damage is in a few spots and the rest of the pavement is solid, hot patching and sealcoating fix it for a fraction of the cost of repaving.
Content reviewed by Bob Reitman, Reitman Sealcoating, Inc. Last updated September 2026.
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