How to Figure Sealers for Driveways

Selecting a Sealer

• Choosing a sealer for your driveway is the first thing you'll need to figure out. The first time you pave a driveway, you'll need to use an asphalt base. Later, as long as the base is solid, you can apply a top coat of tar. Tar is difficult to work with, making acrylic sealers more appropriate for a do-it-yourself sealant job. Each product has its own chemical formula, so compare features and customer reviews to select a sealer that will work in your region and fit your budget.

Square Footage

• Before you purchase sealer for your driveway, you'll need to determine the square footage to be covered. For a simple, rectangular driveway, this involves multiplying the driveway's length by its width. However, many driveways are more irregular in shape. One of the easiest ways to estimate square footage involves breaking the driveway up into rough squares and rectangles, calculating the square footage of each section and adding up the results.

Volume

• Once you know which product you plan to use and how many square feet your driveway occupies, you'll be able to figure how much to buy using simple math. Divide your driveway's square footage by the number of square feet a gallon or container of the sealer is meant to cover. As a baseline, typical sealers use one gallon to cover around 50 square feet. Round up to ensure that you have enough sealer to cover your entire driveway in one session.

Cost

• Budgeting for a driveway sealing job requires figuring the cost. This is especially important if it's part of a larger home improvement project and your funds are limited. Multiplying the cost per gallon by the number of gallons you need is the basic way to figure the cost. If your driveway is damaged, plan on two coats of sealer. However, the second coat will not need to be as thick, so instead of doubling the price multiply it by 1.67 and buy additional sealer accordingly.