GemSeal PolyTar® Sealers
The premium pavement sealer trusted by Quality Paving for long-lasting asphalt protection.
At A Glance
- Manufacturer
- GemSeal Pavement Products
- Product Type
- Refined coal tar emulsion pavement sealer
- Primary Purpose
- Protective sealcoating for asphalt surfaces
- Recommended Uses
- Commercial and residential asphalt pavement
- Surface Type
- Asphalt only (not for concrete)
- Fuel Resistance
- High — resists gasoline, motor oil and diesel spills
- UV Resistance
- Excellent — reduces oxidation from sun exposure
- Weather Resistance
- Strong protection against water intrusion and freeze-thaw
- Color
- Deep, uniform black
- Typical Service Life
- Varies by traffic, exposure, materials, installation, and maintenance
- Maintenance Recommendation
- Re-seal every 2–3 years; crack fill annually
What PolyTar Is
PolyTar® is a refined coal tar emulsion pavement sealer manufactured by GemSeal. It's the category of sealer that established the sealcoating industry in the United States: an engineered emulsion of refined coal tar, water, mineral fillers, and performance additives that cures on the pavement surface to form a tough, jet-black protective film over asphalt.
Refined coal tar sealers have long been used in professional pavement maintenance because they are chemically distinct from asphalt. Asphalt is a petroleum product, so gasoline, diesel, motor oil, and hydraulic fluid dissolve it on contact. A coal tar sealer places a chemically-resistant barrier between those spill hazards and the asphalt underneath — which is exactly why refined coal tar remains a common specification on fuel islands, drive-thru lanes, loading docks, and heavy-traffic commercial lots.
Beyond fuel resistance, a properly installed sealer solves three other problems that quietly destroy asphalt: oxidation from UV exposure, water intrusion into hairline cracks, and abrasive wear from traffic. Left untreated, oxidation turns a two-year-old lot chalky and brittle, water freezes and expands cracks into potholes, and traffic polishes the surface into a fatigue-cracked mess. Sealcoating with a product like PolyTar interrupts all three failure modes and resets the surface visually at the same time.
PolyTar is a professional product — it's shipped in bulk to trained applicators and mixed on site with sand and water to meet the specification for each job. It is not a driveway sealer sold at the hardware store, and the results are not comparable.
Why We Use It
PolyTar is a material we specify because it performs consistently on the pavements we work on — hot Georgia summers, humid subtropical rain events, and the mix of commercial fuel exposure and residential traffic that local lots see day to day. It sprays and squeegees cleanly, cures to a uniform black without streaks when applied by an experienced crew, and holds its color and fuel resistance through summer heat.
GemSeal is a national manufacturer with a documented technical program: consistent batch quality, published technical data sheets and safety data sheets, and a specification-driven approach that matches the way we scope every job. When a customer asks what's going down on their lot, we can name the manufacturer, the product line, and the mix design — and point them straight to the manufacturer's official documentation.
Field consistency is the reason we come back to PolyTar year after year. On multi-year re-seal programs — HOAs, church lots, industrial facilities — the ability to specify the same product across visits keeps the pavement's appearance and performance predictable. That's the standard we hold ourselves to.
Advantages & Limitations
- Helps protect asphalt from oxidation, water intrusion, and traffic wear
- Improves appearance with a deep, professional black finish
- Helps resist gasoline, diesel, and motor oil spills that dissolve raw asphalt
- Helps reduce UV-driven oxidation that dries out and embrittles the mat
- Supports documented maintenance planning when combined with routine crack filling and re-seal cycles
- Cures to a uniform, dense surface that hides prior patching and refreshes lot markings
- Shipped and specified as a professional-grade product with published technical data
- Not for use on concrete, pavers, brick, or any surface other than asphalt.
- Not a repair product — will not bridge active cracks, potholes, or areas of failed base. Crack filling and patching must be completed first.
- Requires favorable weather during application and cure: dry pavement, ambient temperatures typically above 50°F and rising, no rain forecast within the manufacturer's recommended cure window.
- Not appropriate for pavements that are already structurally failing — sealcoating cannot restore a lot that needs resurfacing or full-depth repair.
- Some municipalities and states restrict coal tar sealers. We follow local regulations and will recommend an appropriate alternative product where required.
- Freshly sealed pavement must be closed to traffic during cure. We schedule commercial applications overnight or on weekends whenever possible to minimize downtime.
Typical Applications
Commercial Parking Lots
Retail centers, shopping plazas, medical offices and restaurants — where fuel resistance, curb appeal, and predictable re-seal cycles protect a major asset.
Churches
Church parking lots where volunteer traffic, weekly use, and stewardship budgets make a professionally sealed lot an appropriate maintenance option.
HOA Communities
Private drives, community amenity lots, and shared parking areas managed on multi-year maintenance programs.
Industrial Facilities
Warehouse aprons, loading zones, and truck yards where oil, diesel, and hydraulic fluid exposure would otherwise dissolve raw asphalt.
Residential Driveways
Homeowner driveways that deserve the same commercial-grade sealer we install on retail lots — not a hardware-store product.
How We Apply It
- 01
Inspection
We walk the pavement, document conditions, and confirm the lot is a candidate for sealcoating. Structural failures are called out and quoted separately.
- 02
Cleaning
The surface is power-swept and, where needed, blown or pressure-washed. Oil spots are treated with a primer so the sealer bonds cleanly.
- 03
Crack Filling
Cracks 1/8" and wider are routed as needed and filled with hot-pour rubberized sealant before any sealer goes down.
- 04
Surface Preparation
Edges are taped or cut, landscaping and adjacent concrete are protected, and stormwater inlets are covered.
- 05
Mixing
PolyTar is mixed on site with water, sand, and any specified additives per GemSeal's technical data sheet — every batch built to spec.
- 06
Application
Sealer is applied in two coats using the appropriate combination of squeegee and spray equipment to hit the target coverage rate and produce a uniform black finish.
- 07
Curing
The lot is closed to traffic during cure. We publish a re-open time for the customer and post the site so no one drives on it early.
- 08
Final Inspection
Quality control walk with the customer, touch-ups where needed, and completion documentation delivered on completion. Striping is scheduled after full cure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PolyTar the same as driveway sealer from the hardware store?
No. PolyTar is a professional refined coal tar emulsion shipped in bulk and mixed on site by trained applicators. Consumer driveway sealers are typically thin, water-based products that fade within a season. The material, the coverage rate, and the installed performance are not comparable.
How long before I can drive on my lot after sealcoating?
Typical cure is 24 hours for passenger traffic in warm, dry conditions, though we recommend allowing longer where the schedule permits. Cool or humid weather extends cure time. We publish a specific re-open time on every job.
How often should I re-seal my asphalt?
For most commercial lots and residential driveways in Middle Georgia, a two-to-three-year re-seal cycle protects the pavement without over-sealing. Heavy traffic, fuel exposure, or unshaded lots may shift toward the shorter end of that range.
Can PolyTar be applied over old sealer?
Yes — assuming the previous sealer is well bonded and the surface is properly cleaned. If the existing sealer is delaminating, that has to be addressed before a fresh coat goes down.
Will sealcoating fix cracks or potholes?
No. Sealcoating is a protective coating, not a structural repair. Crack filling, patching, and any base repairs are completed before the sealer is applied.
Is coal tar sealer restricted in Georgia?
As of publication, coal tar sealers are permitted in the Middle Georgia jurisdictions we serve. Regulations vary by state and municipality and can change — we follow current local rules and will recommend an appropriate alternative product where required.
Technical Data Sheets & SDS
We link directly to GemSeal's official Technical Data Sheet (TDS) and Safety Data Sheet (SDS) hosted by the manufacturer — always current, never a stale copy.
Official Documentation
We link directly to GemSeal's official resources rather than hosting copies. Always refer to the current manufacturer documentation for authoritative specifications.
What We've Learned Using PolyTar
Real crew observations from Middle Georgia installations of PolyTar — weather, cure, customer feedback, and long-term performance notes captured on the job.
PolyTar In The Field
Explore More
- Projects using PolyTar will be linked here as they are added.
- → Aggregate Base: The Foundation Under Your Pavement
- → Asphalt 101: A Property Owner's Guide
- → Asphalt Life Expectancy: How Long Should Your Pavement Really Last?
- → Asphalt Mixes: Why One Size Does Not Fit All
- → Benefits of GemSeal PolyTar: Why We Chose This Sealer
- → Common Asphalt Failures and What They Actually Mean
A Professional Notice
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