Honey, I Bleached the Asphalt

[redduck]

There were some oil spots on the asphalt street in front of our house. Usually, these sort of spots disappear after awhile. This time they stayed. I went to Home Depot and they suggested a liquid product that would absorb the oil spots. The product did too good of a job and got rid of the oil spots, but unfortunately left the area bleached out --which makes the former oil spot area look weird and diseased. So, the question is, how do I darken the bleached area? The Home Depot people didn’t have any ideas (except maybe to call security).

The best of my solutions is to pour oil on the bleached area and then to use the same product that I had originally bought, but this time not to use so much of it and not to keep it on as long as I did the first time. You know, like follow the directions this time.

Anyone have a better suggestion to darken the bleached-out spot?

[HI Bill]

Call an asphalt company. They can put a slurry seal over it, or recommend something else. Shouldn't be too expensive if it's a small area.

[NW-Bound]

As a kid, I saw this product called Flintkote that was a bitumen emulsion used in roofing.

I wonder if you can use something similar to that to smear paint over the discolored area to make it nicely black again. It may need to be thinned out a bit to spread well with a broad brush.

[Just_Steve]

This is the street you're talking about not your driveway, correct?
How very strange.

[DrRoy]

Asphalt sealer would make it quite black.

[Badger]

I am surprised that someone at HD would have suggested a product that would absorb oil as a fix since asphalt is a petroleum based material as well. A sealer should cover the spot but it would need to be over the entire driveway to be uniform. The "bleached" spot may also be compromised and need to be removed and patched first.
Based on your original post and your solution it may be a better idea to contact someone whose business it is to make these kind of repairs.


Cheers!

[candrew]

Use a very large Sharpie?

[Ronstar]

Driveway asphalt sealer. But most likely the street is not your property.

[bjorn2bwild]

This requires an artist's touch.
Here is one idea - to get the right color, experiment with a mixture of black powdered line chalk and powdered grey cement. Dust onto the target area and work in with a china bristle brush. Mist with a spray bottle and let dry.
When the right effect is achieved, set with something like hairspray or artist picture fix/varnish. If it is too glossy, scuff with a fine wire brush.
P.S. Option 2, dilute black inkjet ink in a spray bottle, mist over the area, let dry, check, mist more etc. Fix as above.

[calmloki]

HD or Lowes has asphalt spray paint - used it after the parking lot we had slurry sealed got the parking lines painted in the wrong spots multiple times. It will be a different color/shine black, but weather and traffic will blend it well. After 6 months I can report that traffic will also wear it off the high points on the gravel in the road, exposing the previously hidden yellow lines. Eh. fog it in, blend it, look - a bird up there!

[bigcmagor]

The roads are so bad where I live that I would be ecstatic if my biggest concern was for the color consistency of the road. I'm happy to complete a week of driving without needing an alignment. Wish someone would ask Mayor Pete about that.

[redduck]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HNL Bill Call an asphalt company. They can put a slurry seal over it, or recommend something else. Shouldn't be too expensive if it's a small area.

Too expensive to do it this way.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound As a kid, I saw this product called Flintkote that was a bitumen emulsion used in roofing. I wonder if you can use something similar to that to smear paint over the discolored area to make it nicely black again. It may need to be thinned out a bit to spread well with a broad brush.

Thanks, old friend. Now we are getting closer to what I was thinking.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Just_Steve This is the street you're talking about not your driveway, correct? How very strange.

Correct. We are talking the street, not the driveway. I don't understand what is "very strange." (But, I'm willing to take your word for it).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Badger I am surprised that someone at HD would have suggested a product that would absorb oil as a fix since asphalt is a petroleum based material as well... The "bleached" spot may also be compromised and need to be removed and patched first... Cheers!

Now you tell me.

[timo2]

I would double down on the bleaching effect and make an artistic design in the asphalt.

[Aerides]

If this is the street, not your property, I would leave it alone and destroy any evidence now. The city or the county own it, not you.

[redduck]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjorn2bwild This requires an artist's touch. Here is one idea - to get the right color, experiment with a mixture of black powdered line chalk and powdered grey cement. Dust onto the target area and work in with a china bristle brush. Mist with a spray bottle and let dry. When the right effect is achieved, set with something like hairspray or artist picture fix/varnish. If it is too glossy, scuff with a fine wire brush. P.S. Option 2, dilute black inkjet ink in a spray bottle, mist over the area, let dry, check, mist more etc. Fix as above.

Sounds like a great idea; I wonder why I didn't immediately think of it. But first, I'd like to try calmloki's idea below.

Quote:

Originally Posted by calmloki HD or Lowes has asphalt spray paint - used it after the parking lot we had slurry sealed got the parking lines painted in the wrong spots multiple times. It will be a different color/shine black, but weather and traffic will blend it well. After 6 months I can report that traffic will also wear it off the high points on the gravel in the road, exposing the previously hidden yellow lines. Eh. fog it in, blend it, look - a bird up there!

I checked and it looks like HD carries a Rustoleum product that might work. I guess I should have gone to the paint dep't instead of the roofing dep't the first time around. Would I get a solvent or water based product?
(After all these years, I just realized the meaning of your screen name).

[NW-Bound]

Ah, here's what happened to good ol' Flintkote.

The company made other products such as roof shingles and floor tiles that contained asbestos. They did not stop until 1982. Lawsuits drove the company to bankruptcy in 2004.

The Flintkote tradename is now owned by Shell, who still sells the bitumen goo overseas. Apparently, this is good stuff that is still used abroad. However, the American public remembers the bad stuff from the company, and the Flintkote bitumen is not sold here.

[redduck]

Quote:

Originally Posted by timo2 I would double down on the bleaching effect and make an artistic design in the asphalt.

Something like this example of sidewalk art?

[NW-Bound]

As this work will be done on a public street, for safety redduck will need to wear a high-visibility vest.

And in addition, some traffic redirection will be advisable. I know Mrs. Redduck is not as young as the person in the photo below, but this photo is all I could find from the Web.

[GravitySucks]

Add me to the thinks it's strange group.
Did you make the oil stain in the street? You may have caused the start of a pothole. Hope the paint resolves the issue.

[Jerry1]

Pictures? Maybe it’s not as bad as you’re thinking. Besides , I would not want to go any further on this. I assume you don’t own the street, but you may be paying a dear sum to fix it at this point. I would be inclined to walk away and not make things worse. Whether you fess up if someone comes knocking on your door is between you and your conscience, but I’d lay low.