how much do you pay for sealer per gallon?

[brianslawncare]

im thinking of starting to do sealcoating. i was talking to a local supplier and he gave me some prices on sealer per gallon. coal tar is 2.70 per gallon if you buy 300 or more gallons. asphalt emulision is 2.60 a gallon. he told me coal tar is the best. i told him i was just starting out and want to use a tote system and he said that will work fine. the guy was so helpful and he wasnt pushing any of his systems. he said he will sit down and teach me everything he just wants to sell the sealer. do you guys cut youre sealer with water? if so how much water do you add? thanks

[BIGBOY2008]

Im paying close to $2.25 per gallon for a minumum of 100 gallons of coal tar sealer. Your supplier should be able to provide the instructions on how much water should be added per gallon of sealer.

Did this supplier tell you the manufacturer intends for sand to be mixed with the sealer during the application process. But you will need to remember the amount of sand the manufacturer specifies is applicable only with the use of a mechanically agitated commercial asphalt sealing tank. If its not a mechanically agitated tank you will want to consider using 50% less sand than the manufacturer specifies.
Failure to add sand will result in an willfully created slick asphalt surface which means you can be held liable in the event a lawsuit results from someone slipping and falling. There are several documented case histories where people have slipped on sealer that did not have sand added to it with punitive damages awarded to the injured party.

[JFGauvreau]

I pay 1.55 per liter, so almost double as what you guys pay. But live in a different place then you guys. I don't cut down my stuff, that's just me, I want to give quality not junk cut down ****. My stuff is 70% liquid asphaltene and 30% napta solvent.

[Mdirrigation]

If the supplier said a tote system will work just fine , find another supplier .

[brianslawncare]

the supplier did not tell me the ratio of sand, but he did say i should use it. as for the tote system what is wrong with them? i understand everyone talks about mixing the sealer. how doesnt the tote system not mix the sealer, it takes the sealer from the botton and recirculates back to the top? is there anything else wrong with them? it seems like for the cost of the tote system youre start up cost is low. i didnt want to jump in and buy a big expensive system, not knowing how the biz is going to go. there is 15 guys sealing in my area the dealer told me. thats low compared to 50 in the mowing/landscaping biz.

[JFGauvreau]

the supplier did not tell me the ratio of sand, but he did say i should use it. as for the tote system what is wrong with them? i understand everyone talks about mixing the sealer. how doesnt the tote system not mix the sealer, it takes the sealer from the botton and recirculates back to the top? is there anything else wrong with them? it seems like for the cost of the tote system youre start up cost is low. i didnt want to jump in and buy a big expensive system, not knowing how the biz is going to go. there is 15 guys sealing in my area the dealer told me. thats low compared to 50 in the mowing/landscaping biz.

If you don't have enough money to buy the proper equipment, then don't do seal coating. Tote is just a easy and cheap way to do the business, in the long run it will not be worth. These hoses are not the same a commercial equipment, they are cheap and don't last as long as good ones. Also there is a higher chance that your tote tank will leak compared to a metal one.

[Mdirrigation]

I needed about 800 gallons for a job over a weekend my unit is only 550 gallons , I made 1 trip with the 550 and I got enough material to fill a 275 gallon tote . I mixed the material added 30 percent water and pumped it off into the tote. I then filled up the 550 gallon for the job all this was done a week ahead of time . I used my 2 inch trash pump to mix the tote and transfer the material , I mixed the tote over an hour . Well a square tank doesnt mix worth a crap. The material settled in 1 week , the corners of the tank were nothing but solids ( I didnt put the sand in the tote) I had to suck the corners out with the air diaphram pump and a 2 inch hose after I refilled the tote halfway with sealer . Still had some left in the corners but I finished the job , But to use one to do a job , never , I couldnt trust the mix after what I saw left in the tank.

[BIGBOY2008]

My advice if you are just starting out and you dont want to go the expense of buying a round tank with agitation is to do residential and use 55 gallon barrels. Thats how i started out.

[brianslawncare]

if you use the 55 gallon barrels how do you get the sealer out? use a pump or buckets? seems like buckets would make a mess.

[BIGBOY2008]

I sent you a PM.