Top 4 Home Improvement Projects under $500

Add Service Magic to the list of reputable organizations that has jumped on the Driveway Sealing bandwagon.

Finishing number three on their Top 4 List of Home Improvement Projects Under $500, here's what they have to say about Sealing:

3) Driveway Sealing: This is an excellent project that will keep your driveway from early erosion from the brutal sun and the quick freezes. Most companies charge between $.10-$.25 per sq ft, while some companies charge between $85-$100 per 1,000 sq ft. If you have a large driveway or if yours requires several coats, this might run close to $1000. However, most homeowners can have this done for far less than that.

http://www.servicemagic.com/article.show.Top-4-Fall-Home-Projects-for-Under-$500.13818.html

Consumer Reports: What to Look for in a Contractor

Some tips from Consumer Reports on what to look for when hiring a driveway contractor:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/home-garden/home-improvement/driveway-sealcoating-scams-506-sealcoat-protection-asphalt/overview/index.htm

The bottom line is beware of "drive-by artists"- contractors who show up unannounced offering to seal your driveway on the spot, most likely with used motor oil.

Some other things to consider from your unbiased friends at EastCoat:

1. Ask for references, and check references! Anyone can come up with a list of customers. When calling, ask about quality, turn around time, etc.

2. Ask the contractor to provide a list of work that has been completed nearby. Drive by a couple jobs-look at the quality of the job, the neatness, consistency.

Things to look for: Are there streak marks? FYI: These are avoidable! Only a small percentage of driveways are susceptible to 'streaking' - the ugly remnants of bad squeegeeing technique. How do the cracks look? Messy crack filling is a sign of weakness.

3. Look for trustworthy individuals. If the sales representative is pushy or sketchy, you might want to look elsewhere! Chances are, the quality will be similar.

4. Professionalism. Are you dealing with a legitimate company? A quick Google search is the best way to dig up complaints.

For the DIY 'ers out there

Driveway Sealing:

Yeah, you can do it yourself....

But why???

Luckily, here at EastCoat we don't charge an arm and a leg- literally.

An ode to my graphic designer

I'd like to thank the incomparable Brett Crippen, for his contributions to the EastCoat Revolution. Without his insight and creative wisdom, we would be bound eternally in the age of Microsoft Publisher. May your business prosper as well!

we are proud to announce....

EastCoat is proud to announce that we are officially the first sealcoating company in the world to have a blog. Yes, that's right...officially **

Unofficially, we have the coolest sealcoating website EVER. I am completely unbiased of course.

**worldwide blog stats are unofficial**

Hello World!

Welcome to the first edition of The Sealer Blog....because who blogs about sealer??