There are two types of sealer available for sealing asphalt driveways, refined coal tar sealer and emulsified sealer.  Most contractors use a refined coal tar sealer.  Hardware stores provide emulsified or latex asphalt sealer.  Most manufacturers of coal tar sealers follow ASTM quality standards which insures the consistency and durability of the material used.  That means the customer will get quality material even if different contractors buy material from different manufacturers.  Emulsified sealer does not have a quality standard which means the consistency and quality can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, even from batch to batch.

Material used by contractors is thicker than the sealer a customer would get at a hardware store.  The result is more material on the asphalt surface which in turn last longer.  Most contractors put additives into the sealer such as silica sand or polymer additives that would increase the sealer life.  Most sealers from hardware stores don’t have these additives.

The final difference between store bought sealer and contractor sealer is not the sealer but who is applying the material.  There is a great value in an experienced worker applying seal coating next to walls and doors without splashing material on them.

The look and finish is uniform, and more importantly there is no clean up or leftover material.