Choosing a sealcoat product means matching one product to one pavement. Start with the local rule, then fuel exposure, then the surface condition, and finish by reading the label of the exact product you will buy. Bucket price alone does not tell you which of those four checks a product passes.
Which asphalt sealcoat product should you choose?
Check the local rule first. If coal tar products are banned where the pavement sits, the choice is between asphalt emulsion and acrylic products, and no coal tar comparison can change that. If coal tar is allowed and the pavement takes regular fuel drips, a coal tar emulsion is the product family specified for fuel resistance. For a typical residential driveway with no fuel exposure and no local ban, an asphalt emulsion product is the usual starting point, and the label check below decides which one.
No single product wins for every driveway. A product that suits a fuel-stained commercial lot can be the wrong buy for a shaded residential drive, and a low-solids budget product can cost more per year of service than a higher-solids product that costs more per bucket. The table below keeps each family to what its manufacturer and government sources actually state.
What are the main sealcoat product types?
| Product family | Base | Stated strength | Main limit to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coal tar emulsion | Refined coal tar pitch emulsion | Fuel and oil resistance; specified for fuel-exposed pavement | High PAH content; banned in some states and cities |
| Asphalt emulsion | Asphalt binder emulsion | Same base material as the pavement; adhesion and flexibility | Not specified as a fuel-resistant surface |
| Polymer-modified | Coal tar or asphalt emulsion plus rubber polymers | Improved adhesion and flexibility over the unmodified base | The base still decides legality and fuel resistance |
| Acrylic or polymer coating | Acrylic or polymer resin | Surface film with its own colour and wear properties | Price and application method differ from emulsion sealers; read the label |
Coal tar emulsion is the fuel-resistance family. The airport specification for refined coal tar emulsion states its purpose plainly: a fuel-resistant surface where pavements are subjected to fuel spills. SealMaster states that its polymer-modified coal tar sealer protects pavement from oxidation, moisture intrusion, fuel, and oil.
Asphalt emulsion is the pavement-compatible family. It uses the same base material as the asphalt it covers, and manufacturer descriptions for asphalt emulsion products stress adhesion, flexibility, and durability rather than fuel resistance. That makes it the natural starting point for a residential driveway, provided the label fits the surface condition.
Polymer-modified is an upgrade to a base, not a separate base. SealMaster describes its polymer-modified coal tar sealer as a coal tar emulsion fortified with cross-linking rubber polymers, job-mixed with graded aggregate for a skid-resistant surface. A polymer-modified asphalt emulsion works the same way: the polymer improves the emulsion, but the asphalt base still decides legality and the fuel question.
A rejuvenator is a different job, not another colour of sealcoat. It is sold as a penetrating treatment for oxidized binder, while sealcoat forms a surface film. If the pavement needs binder restoration rather than a protective film, compare rejuvenators on their own terms and do not judge them by sealcoat coverage rates.
How do you read a product label?
Read four lines before comparing prices: base, solids, coverage per coat, and the temperature limit. A label that hides any of the four cannot be compared with one that states all four.
| Label line | What it tells you | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Whether the product is coal tar, asphalt, or acrylic based | A brand name alone does not state the base |
| Solids or non-volatiles | How much material stays on the pavement after the water leaves | Dilution with water lowers the solids of the mix as applied |
| Coverage per coat | Square feet or square yards per gallon for one coat | Coverage varies with pavement age and porosity |
| Temperature limit | The lowest temperature allowed during and after application | Both manufacturer sheets used here set 50 degrees Fahrenheit for 24 hours |
Solids deserve a direct comparison because they change the film left behind. SealMaster states that its polymer-modified coal tar sealer is applied at 55 to 57 percent solids, unlike conventional sealers applied at 40 to 43 percent solids. Those figures belong to those products. Use them to see why two buckets at the same price can leave very different films, then read the solids figure on the product you actually buy.
Aggregate matters on slopes and lots. A product job-mixed with graded aggregate gives a skid-resistant surface for pedestrian and vehicle traffic. A smooth, unfilled film on a steep drive or a lot entrance is a traction decision, not just a colour decision.
Prepare the surface on the label's terms. SealMaster states that cracks should be filled with crack filling material before its asphalt emulsion product is applied, and that oil stains should be cleaned and primed. Sealcoat covers a surface. It does not fill a wide crack, level a failed base, or fix drainage, and buying a thicker product does not change that.
How much product does a stated rate give for one driveway?
Use the net area from the measurement step, then the rate on the chosen product's sheet. The fixture below uses the net area from the companion measurement guide: a drive that nets 940.5 square feet, or 104.5 square yards, after deductions.
SealMaster states that its Coal Tar Concentrate is applied at 0.11 to 0.13 gallon per square yard per coat. Applied to the fixture drive, that rate gives:
- Low rate per coat: 104.5 x 0.11 = 11.495 gallons, shown as 11.5 gallons.
- High rate per coat: 104.5 x 0.13 = 13.585 gallons, shown as 13.6 gallons.
- Two coats: 11.495 x 2 = 22.99 gallons and 13.585 x 2 = 27.17 gallons, shown as 23.0 to 27.2 gallons.
Result: for that product's stated rate, two coats on the fixture drive take 23.0 to 27.2 gallons. That range is not a universal sealcoat rate. Another product's sheet states a different rate, and its own rate replaces these figures. The ordering step turns a checked rate into a purchase quantity with its own allowance and selling increments.
When is coal tar not an option?
Coal tar sealcoat carries a high polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) load, and that fact drives the restrictions. The U.S. Geological Survey states that coal-tar-based products are typically 20 to 35 percent coal tar or coal-tar pitch, with PAH content of 35,000 to 200,000 milligrams per kilogram, about 1,000 times the level in asphalt-based products.
In runoff particles, the difference is just as large. The Geological Survey fact sheet reports an average of 3,500 milligrams of PAHs per kilogram in particles washed off coal-tar sealed lots, about 65 times the 54 milligrams per kilogram average from unsealed lots, while asphalt-based lots averaged 620 milligrams per kilogram.
Minnesota removed the choice by law. Minnesota Statutes section 116.202 prohibits the sale and use of coal tar sealant products, effective 1 January 2014, and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency notes that asphalt-based alternatives have far lower PAH concentrations. The Geological Survey also records that several local governments, the District of Columbia, and the State of Washington have banned these products. Check the rule for the exact address of the pavement, because a product that is legal in one city can be banned in the next.
Reapplication timing also belongs to the manufacturer, not to a general rule. The Geological Survey research summary reports coal-tar sealcoat requiring reapplication every 2 to 5 years. Use the chosen product's sheet for the interval, and do not carry one product's interval over to another family.
Common product-choice mistakes
- Buying on bucket price without comparing solids, coverage per coat, and coat count.
- Choosing coal tar before checking whether it is banned at the pavement's address.
- Using one product's coverage rate for a different product.
- Adding water beyond the sheet's mixing directions and lowering the applied solids.
- Sealing over wide cracks, oil stains, or a failed base instead of fixing them first.
- Applying below the label's temperature limit or before the stated drying time.
- Treating a penetrating rejuvenator as interchangeable with a surface sealcoat.
Sources and scope
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 2005-3147, Parking lot sealcoat: a major source of PAHs: coal-tar sealcoat as a PAH source; runoff particle averages for coal-tar, asphalt-based, and unsealed lots. Accessed 2026-10-27.
- U.S. Geological Survey, USGS Research: PAHs and Coal-Tar-Based Pavement Sealcoat: typical coal tar content, PAH levels, reapplication range, and recorded bans. Accessed 2026-10-27.
- Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 116.202 and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Coal tar-based sealants: Minnesota sale and use ban effective 1 January 2014, and lower PAH concentrations in asphalt-based alternatives. Accessed 2026-10-27.
- SealMaster, Polymer Modified Coal Tar Sealer (PMCTS) technical data sheet: 55 to 57 percent applied solids versus 40 to 43 percent for conventional sealers; fuel and oil protection; 50 degrees Fahrenheit limit within 24 hours after application. Accessed 2026-10-27.
- SealMaster, Coal Tar Concentrate Pavement Sealer technical data sheet: 0.11 to 0.13 gallon per square yard per coat; coverage varies with pavement age and porosity. Accessed 2026-10-27.
- SealMaster, Airport Sealcoating Specifications Item P-630: refined coal tar emulsion as a fuel-resistant surface where pavements are subjected to fuel spills; verify compliance with federal, state, and local requirements. Accessed 2026-10-27.
- SealMaster, Polymer-Modified MasterSeal (PMM) Ultra product page: mineral-filled asphalt emulsion sealer blended with polymers; minimum two coats; temperatures above 50 degrees Fahrenheit during and for 24 hours after application. Accessed 2026-10-27.
- NIST Handbook 44, 2026, Appendix C: square-foot to square-yard relationships used for the worked example. Accessed 2026-10-27.
Scope: the product figures on this page belong to the named manufacturer sheets. They do not set a universal coverage rate, lifespan, price, or temperature limit for sealcoat in general. The governing product label, local rule, project specification, and site condition control the purchase for a real pavement. Quantity planning does not replace pavement design, repair decisions, or a qualified professional.
Review responsibility: Saleem Sial owns the published calculation, source, and editorial checks. Waseem Sial, External Reviewer and Engineer, remains listed for ongoing external review; no completed external-review date is claimed.
Measure first with the asphalt sealcoat measurement guide, then choose the product with this guide, or return to the Asphalt Calculators hub. The Asphalt Sealcoat Calculator is the next step once its page is published.
