which driveway sealer should I use?

Black Jack Drive-Maxx 700

$35.98

Black Jack Drive-Maxx 1000

$34.97

Henry 532 Driveway Resurfacer

$44.99

I would skip coal-tar sealer for a residential DIY job. Asphalt-emulsion/polymer-modified products are a better default, and coal-tar products have environmental concerns and are restricted in some jurisdictions.asphapro.com

If you tell me (1) asphalt or concrete, (2) approximate square footage, (3) how old it is, and (4) whether it has cracks, I can tell you exactly which product I'd buy and how many buckets you need.

• Best for: Standard worn or weathered residential asphalt.

• Why: It's a water-based, rubberized latex formula infused with sand and gel technology. It fills small hairline cracks, resists tracking, and dries fast enough to allow foot traffic in about an hour. Available at Home Depot.

• Best for: Severely oxidized, dry, or older asphalt (5+ years old) that needs rejuvenation.

• Why: A solvent-based natural bitumen (Gilsonite) oil sealer that deeply penetrates and chemically re-bonds brittle asphalt rather than just sitting on top. Available directly via PaveMade.[1][2][3][4][5]

To narrow this down, please let me know:

• Is your driveway asphalt or concrete?
• What is its approximate age and current condition (any large cracks or holes)?

I can give you a precise product match and a step-by-step application guide.

My pick for a DIY driveway

• Latex-Ite Airport Grade+ Driveway Filler Sealer - $35.99 (Ace Hardware)

Latex-Ite Airport Grade+ is a polymer-modified asphalt emulsion, low-VOC, non-skid product intended for residential blacktop. That's the type of formulation I'd look for.

A less expensive option is:

• Latex-ite Ultra Shield Driveway Filler Sealer - $34.97 (The Home Depot)

It is asphalt-emulsion based and designed to fill/seal minor cracks.

What I'd avoid

• Concrete sealer if your driveway is asphalt.
• Very cheap "blacktop coating" products with little or no polymer/asphalt-emulsion information.
• Coal-tar sealer unless you specifically need its chemical/fuel resistance; asphalt-based alternatives are available.SealMaster
• Sealing a driveway with significant structural cracks, potholes, or crumbling edges—the repairs should come first.

If you tell me (1) asphalt or concrete, (2) approximate age, (3) how many cracks/potholes it has, and (4) whether you're applying it yourself, I can narrow it down to the specific product and tell you roughly how many 5-gallon buckets you'll need.

• Latex-ite Ultra Shield Driveway Filler Sealer - $36.99 (Hemlock Hardware)
• Black Jack Drive-Maxx 1000 - $44.99 (Ace Hardware)
• Black Jack Drive-Maxx 500 - $27.99 (Ace Hardware)
• Latex-Ite Sand Mix Driveway Coating - $30.99 (Ace Hardware)

What I'd choose

• Latex-ite Ultra Shield — a solid DIY choice for a typical residential asphalt driveway. It's asphalt-emulsion based and rubberized.

• Black Jack Drive-Maxx 1000 — another good DIY option if you want a more heavily rubberized/filler-type product.

• Avoid coal-tar sealer if possible. Michigan environmental guidance specifically points homeowners toward asphalt-based or latex alternatives.City of East Lansing

One important caveat: if your driveway is concrete rather than asphalt, don't use these. Concrete calls for a different type of sealer—typically a penetrating silane/siloxane product in a Michigan climate.coleconcretellc.com

If you tell me (1) asphalt or concrete, (2) approximate age, and (3) whether it has cracks/potholes, I can narrow it down to the specific product I'd buy and tell you how many gallons you'll need.

• Latex-ite Ultra Shield Driveway Filler Sealer - $34.97 (The Home Depot)

My picks

• Best overall: Latex-ite Ultra Shield — rubberized asphalt emulsion, good for minor surface cracking, and currently around $35 for 4.75 gal.CompositePaint

• For rough/older asphalt: Latex-ite Airport Grade+ — thicker, polymer-modified formula intended for more demanding pavement.

• Budget choice: BLACK JACK Drive-Maxx 700 — around $31 for 4.75 gal.

• If you're sealing late in the season: Latex-ite Therma-Seal — specifically formulated for cooler application conditions.

• Latex-ite Airport Grade+ - $32.98 (The Home Depot)

• BLACK JACK Drive-Maxx 700 - $30.77 (Lowe's)

• Latex-ite Therma-Seal - $27.61 (The Home Depot)

• Jetcoat Asphalt Sealer - $32.53 (Lowe's)

One important point: if your driveway is concrete rather than asphalt, don't use these products. Concrete needs a completely different type of sealer, typically a penetrating silane/siloxane or an acrylic depending on the desired finish.Bob Vila

If you tell me (1) asphalt or concrete, (2) approximate age, (3) how cracked it is, and (4) whether you're doing it yourself, I can tell you exactly which product I'd buy and how much you'd need.

My choices

• Best overall: Latex-ite Ultra Shield — good balance of durability, crack filling, and price.
• Good cheaper option:

— reasonable if you're trying to keep costs down.

• For rough/porous asphalt: Latex-ite Airport Grade+ — its consistency is better suited to open-pore pavement.CompositePaint
• I would skip: cheap plain sealers and coal-tar products unless there's a specific reason to use them.

But if your driveway is concrete, don't use an asphalt sealer. For concrete, I'd use a penetrating silane/siloxane product such as

instead.angi.com+1

If you tell me (1) asphalt or concrete, (2) approximately how old it is, (3) whether it has cracks, and (4) whether you're applying it yourself, I can tell you exactly which product I'd buy and how much you need.