Castello Seal Coating
Has anyone ever dealt with Castello seal coating. I was away on business and he knocked on my door and solicited my wife into paying him 100 dollars for sealing my driveway. Needless to say, he did a terrible job and left no business card or phone number. He said he had done other business in the area and also the high school. I highly doubt it and think I have been had for 100 bucks, just figured someone in the area might know who this is and if they have a phone number.
htownres77 Sounds like the guys that suckered my parents a year or two ago.
They did a crappy job and apparently drove off with my parent's push broom which they borrowed to sweep the driveway.
I wonder if he targets senior citizens....and I wonder if H'town requires a solicitor's license??
Whomever he tries to victimize next might want to get some info on him and at least check with the town..or the cops.
jjmonth4 We had him several years ago and he was terrrific. We have a long driveway and a big parking area. he gave us a fair price and we were very poleased with the results. I don't have his number but I'm sure it's in the mt olive phone book as that is where he is from.
As far as being suckered--don't you and your wife discuss things together before you do them. You can't be suckered unless you allow yourself to be so.
ziggy 
Ethel
joyful 
Calico696 There is a Costello Sealcoating in Mt. Olive (973) 347-1711 but no Castello Seal Coating.
Ed Costello out of Budd Lake is a legit business. They do many of the driveways in Brook Hollow, and he does them for a flat $125. (our driveways are not particularly long, but they're double wide) They're not traveling sales types, and definitely not the ones that have been floating from out of town. He often does 5-6 driveways at a time in a neighborhood. And he does a reasonable job.
If you have any issue the number is (973) 347-1711.
GC DO NOT consider them....They did a driveway for my neighbors who are building a house, and had to dig the entire driveway up because it failed inspection.
They came to us a while back and did the exact same thing as they did to your wife. My husband told them to get off our property.
If you are looking for someone good then look into H Burd and Son out of Hackettstown.
sher Ziggy, yes we typically do discuss things like this but my wife did it as a suprise since I had been meaning to do it myself. I am wondering if this guy just gave my wife that name since it seems a few people have had good result with Costello. I am going to call them tomorrow and see if it was actually them who did my driveway. The guy who did mine had a old crappy truck with no markings.
Almost sounds as if the guy was using a legitimate business' name. Ed Costello might want to know someone is doing this.
LVMomOfBoys Seriously when Costello and son did ours he gave us a card and also a pamphlet as to proper care and also time frames for resealing, etc. I'm not trying to give you a hard time but thinking the same as others perhaps someone is using his name but different spelling. Good luck--hope you find out the truth.....
Eddie does have a legitimate paving/sealing business. AND he does drive around with his son to solicit jobs. It's the same person. I've known him for many years. I actually had them do my drive way a couple of years ago, when they knocked on my door. Was disappointed in the job, but didn't follow up because it felt awkward, since we knew each other. They came by again this Spring, but I said "no thanks" this time.
Angiebaby Irish pavers and gypsies constantly use this scam. I don't know if H-town has an ordinance against soliciting without a permit or not. If someone comes a knocking that I don't know is a legitimate local business, I tell my wife to call the cops. I told my folks to call the cops for the same thing in their town. Cops showed up and ended up locking both of them up on arrest warrants and showing false ID. My favorite scam is when somebody hires some nut to seal the driveway, and the next time it rains, it all washes off!
Bruin The following statements are true of ANY contractor. There are probably more rules to live by but these are the 4 that I can think of. Looks like you broke all 4.
1. The good ones never go door to door. The ones that do, aren't any good. Stay away.
2. The good ones are always busy. If you ask "when can you start" and they say tomorrow or today, stay away. If he was good, he would be booked weeks or more in advance.
3. The good ones are never in your neighborhood and have extra materials and will give you a good deal. If they were really good, they would know how to properly estimate their materials in the first place.
4. The good ones, never require payment in cash. And payment should never be made in full prior to work starting.
What sack said.
Its the same of buying stuff from people over the phone: if they call you, forget it.
We got "taken" if you will the first year we moved here from a tree company that "the previous owner used". BS. If someone was spraying stuff to kill bugs on my tress, etc, they at least should have had protective gear on but they didn't. Lesson learned.
I would call the real company and ask if they did the job. If its a bad job, have them come back and fix it. If it wasn't them, lesson learned.
We need to get ours sealed this year. We're using the people that did the paving since I've got nothing that compliments on their work and praise about the company from others.
blackcat Here it is still Winter and I had somebody show up at my door yesterday looking to seal my driveway. Very high pressure sales... he said he did a neighbors driveway in my neighborhood recently (Yeah right!) and would do mine for $220. When I resisted he immediately came down to $180. When I said no thanks again he hopped in his red pickup and took off down the street.
I was curious as to why he didn't go to any of my neighbors houses but instead decided to just get in his truck and take off. He gave me his card... it says RTS Paving. A Google search didn't return much. The contact number on the card is a 717 area code which looks to be from way out in south central PA. Very suspicious...
PS: Ohh and we just had the driveway seal coated 6-7 months ago!!
Vic Vic - Total scam. Rest assured though, that If he ends up knocking on the wrong redneck's door, he won't be back in Oxford anytime soon. ;-)
I am looking for recommendations from people who have had good experiences with high-quality companies who do both "driveway seal coating" AND "total removal of an old black-top driveway and installation of a new black-top driveway".
SW1 RTS Paving , red pickup trunk was knocking on doors in Long Valley today. Left business card 717 398-1393 (owner) Richard Stanley.
Geo SW1 - Do a forum search there are a number of other recommendations, and all do both. C H Paving last year is the one that got right back to me while several others either took a couple of weeks or never even called back at all. They did a good job at a decent price and came out 2 days after the phone call.
Funny, we had a red pickup here yesterday, name of Kerrigan something out of Wayne. No name on the truck, just gave us a flyer. Offered to do our driveway for $200, then when my husband hesitated lowered it to $150. We wanted to check him out more so we sent him on his way.
Davis Whoever you hire to do ANY work on your house or property make sure they have insurance. Have them get an updated insurance certificate from their insurance company and take a copy before you give them a dime.
If they don't have insurance then tell them to take a hike.
DB I had a truck stop by my house last week. I didn't get the name, but he offered to seal my driveway for $600. I thought that was a bit high. He wouldn't budge from that price. I had it sealed two years ago and it was no where near that price. I have a 150 foot driveway. What would be a reasonable price?
Tanya I have been getting estimates from several companies. Most use water based latex similar to what can be purchased at Home Depot. One used an oil based something. 2000 sq ft driveway. Best prices were about $350. So it is down to product. Both very reputable companies - I have seen oth around for years.
Opinions on the products?
I have been doing my own search for sealcoating companies and came across the following site. It has some good tips of what to look for to avoid scams. It mentions about oil-based sealers being illegal in NJ so take note. Anyway, take it for what it's worth, just trying to help someone else get info. too.
http://www.precisionmaint.com/residential_service.htm
eapos Ok, Irish accents/names = suspect Irish paver scam. Not NECESSARILY of course, but beware.
Out of Pennsylvania doing business in NJ = gypsies. By the way, don't fall for these guys with the frozen meat truck selling off "overstock" from restaurant sales door to door. You can probably get a better deal at Sam's club.
American Drive Seal - they paved my driveway 20+ years ago and seal it every few years. A 150' driveway, lots of traffic (UPS and FedEx trucks), today it looks like new!
TU A red Dodge Ram pick-up was here with a guy wearing a white RTS Sealcoating baseball cap. Asked if he could seal our driveway in Washington. I sent him on his way. He's getting around!
3wbdwnj Geo, I checked the Internet on the Richard Stanley that left his card with you. There is a family of Stanleys in Pennsylvania who run these paving and sealcoating scams throughout the Northeast. The reason the name rang a bell with me is there use to be a paving company with the same name that use to be based out of Oxford many years ago. I had them come and fix parts of my driveway about 19 years ago shortly after I moved here. The asphalt they used to fix my driveway started to bubble once the hot weather came. I called them and they gave me the runaround for days on end. I was so pissed off I called his house on the 4th of July weekend and his wife answered the phone and basically told me to go to hell. I filed a complaint with the BBB and that was that. Needless to say this industry is fraught with some undesirables and it is best to do your homework when getting this type of work done. This forum is great for getting recommendations for any type of service people need.
kb2755 
Fred Sims RTS Paving & Sealcoating did my driveway my sisters AND my mothers. He did a very good job for a very good price! I recomend him to everyone! :)
Sarah Read Also be careful of anyone telling you that they are using "Airport" or "Raceway" grade sealer. There is no such thing. They do not seal runways or race tracks. Just because its on a bucket in Home Depot does not mean that it is true.
Steve1979 I always heard good reviews about West Jersey Sealcoat. I see they just did two houses on Cat Swamp Rd.
http://www.westjerseysealcoat.com/
Just had mine done by Precision (link above in Davis's post) and they did am excellent job and were reasonably priced. They gentlemen that did the job Steven Tyler (real name) explained how to maintain the driveway and told us about the scams that have been going on for years. I would highly recommend them.
If you live in NJ I would go with Black Diamond Sealcoating. It's two local kids and they do wonderful work. I was outside watching them sealcoat my neighbors driveway and they do it with mops and brooms. They have a blue dodge pick up truck. I watched them work they blow down your whole entire driveway get all the edges looking amazing the broom all the edges and I have to say it comes out looking brand new. It's not that shiny black whatever stuff everyone uses. I talked to one of the young boys and he measured my driveway and said you no what if I have enough in the tank after this ill do it for free I'm ending my day and just wanna go home ill do it for free. He even gave me a two year guarantee on it. I gave him my parents driveway to do and he did another amazing job. Very affordable price .14 cents a square foot. I don't have his number but I will be sure to get it off of my parents
John O'Grady Not everyone who knocks on your door is a scammer, some sealcoaters love to talk to people face to face, and do really good work, and if they offer a cash price or say they have stuff left over, BIG DEAL, those are sales tactics everyone who has a personality uses them.
Save your money SACK, and buy yourself a brain.
Fred Standish Fred Standish must be one of those guys who goes door to door trying to scam people. You should tell us what company you work for so we know who not to use. Going door to door means you have lots of free time which means you are not busy. And if you're not busy there must be a reason. The reason is lousy work. If you did good work people would refer you to others. Obviously thats not the case hence your door to door scam tactics. As far as having extra material, it is a big deal as its a red flag. If you were an expert in your field you would know how to correctly estimate the material. I've never had a framer come to my house saying I built the house next door and ordered too many 2x4's and ask to build something for me. It just doesn't happen, as anyone who works in that field with half a brain should know how many to order to build the house. The same holds true for seal coating.
The sealcoating industry has been given a bad name. There are people driving around neighborhoods soliciting this service and most of them are not even registered contractors or insured, most are out of PA who are using nothing more than motor oil or a product called gilsonite (which is banned in NJ) that they sludge on the property of unsuspected people. How they get away with this is mind boggleing. People have lost trust in the honest, hard working people who own "real" sealcoating companies. I know this for a fact because my husband owns a reputable sealcoating company and has 25 years experience in the industry. He is a professional contractor and is registered, insured and honest. Our company has taken a bad hit over the last couple of years because of these "gypsy's" who have popped up out of nowhere, out to make a quick buck, ruin your driveway and then disappear. If they can not produce a NJ Contractor License do not trust them. It is sad to think they get away with this, I feel the pain of the honest contractors.
ContractorsWife My elderly parents, who live in Maplewood, just got ripped off by Tri State Seal Coating. They have NY plates, dark blue or black pickup truck, no signage of truck, etc. it looks like, after all my research, that the scamsters applied Gilsonite to their driveway, which is illegal in NJ. Is there anyway to get this stuff off? They paid cash of course, to the tune of thousands of dollars, and had no idea nor did they call me. Just a warning for all who have elderly parents and any advice is appreciated. Thank you.
Bob There is no way to remove oil or Gilsonite from you pavement. It has to wear off by itself, usually takes about a year. Try using a power washer, it will begin to deteriorate and break down the bonding material of the pavement. Once oil or Gilsonite is applied it is difficult for any "real" sealant to hold. What size was the driveway that it cost thousands of dollars to seal ? That is insane. Anyone applying oil or Gilsonite should be reported to the EPA, this stuff runs off into drinking water.
I am a sealcoating contractor in pennsylvania.registered and insured.i also have a well established business which was built and is still run by door to door sales and repeat business.my experience is that many people wait for a sealcoater to knock on there door or work in there neighborhood.most people will check references or look at previous work i have done.15 years in business i have plenty of calls and referrals for work but with a limited season and slow economy i and many other sealcoaters can not afford to sit around waiting for phone calls.there are many forms of marketing and in my experience face to face sales and word of mouth are the best.not everyone that stops at your house is a criminal.
Robertson I don't see what everyone's deal is with calling some one a gypsy, big deal there a gypsy black people rap Italians make pizza and gypsies pave. Most paving contractors I'd have to say 90% of paving contractors are gypsies. There's are good and bad in every nationality. They can't help who there ancestors were. It's all about just finding the contractor that your comfortable with and you trust
Smitty Smitty - No, their nationality or background is not the reason to call the "gypsy". It's because they are from out of town and go from place to place. Has nothing to do with ethnicity.
Gc- ok there going town to town! It just bothers me that people put them down for working in New Jersey when there from the neighboring state Pennsylvania I could see if they was from Iowa or some where. And maybe the reason that there over here is because they was giving a estimate or was doing a job here. People are putting them down just because there trying to work and it does have a lot to do with what there nationality is because that's all I ever here about when I read these crazy messages on the internet
Also I know a few gypsy families and there very hard working people they leave there homes at 6:00 a.m. And never return until sometimes 7 or 8:00 p.m. And again there are a few of them that do shotty work but these guys are legit
Smitty - Look at the posts again. You're reading into it. No, it's not about nationality. If they work in NJ they must have an NJ license. If they do, then they are perfectly fine. The posts are about operators who either ignore that or don't even know they're breaking the law. They also must have a solicitor's permit to go door to door in Hackettstown and most of the other neighboring townships. That is another rule that was brought up.
Ok we'll do you know if they have a solicitors permit? No not always. But on the other hand what about guy from hackettstown that solicits? He has a nj lic # n peoples still calling him a gypsy/ fly by night/ scammer etc. it's just because some people just can't be pleased from some contractors. I'll put it in a different term look at our president he's the leader of our country and he can't make every person happy only the people who like him and if that guy can't make people happy don't think that every contractor that you get is gonna make you happy but I rest to assure you that they'll probly do the best that can but don't think that there always gonna please you
I'v been in the driveway business for about 20 years now, there was a time when I didn't have to knock on doors.Those days are long gone,and it's not because I do bad work or something, it's about the economy and the reduced property value.Most people don't call like they once did,so in order for me to stay in business I have to go door to door knowing that most people will say no.
Nic I just recently had my driveway re-paved by Ed Costello and Sons and they did a beautiful job and I would highly recommend them for anyone needing paving work. I was given a written estimate and when I decided to have the work done, they were pleasant, professional and experienced as to my concerns. Next year, I will definately have them re-seal it because I like his work and liked dealing with him.
Ron Ron - Is it still shiny and looks undried? Did he spray it and not be able to push it around? Did he disclose it's "oil based' and not "latex"? If so, you do understand that product is illegal in NJ. It has to be bought in PA, costs about 1/4 what a real sealer costs, and is why later if you said no they offer the same job at 50% off. It actually removes the old driveway, not reseals it.
Costello and Son knocked my door offering oil-base sealer on my drive way. Is it really a bad product?
wayen Bad anywhere. (because it eats away the orginal driveway)
Illegal in NJ. (because of VOC's)
Costello is an honest up front guy. I would highly recommend him! Some people need to get off a band wagon and stop adding to this thread....start a new one if you have questions about paving....don't keep smearing costello's name
Ziggy- if he is using something that is illegal in NJ, and basically a solvent that eats at the driveway- I wouldn't call that smearing.
Josh The problem with the latex sealer is it kills asphalt. I'm sorry it's the worst. It burns, can be highly contagious if someone is allergic, and can be watered down to where it's worse than mud. It's illegal in DC and a few states. Any sealer that gets into our watering is contagious. Gilsonite is a real sealant. Used for roofs too l, and can be used as tac. If you're driveway is alligator cracked and 15 to 25 years old, don't seal it - get it replaced. You're not saving any money. I have customers who complain about cracks and dips, holes and low spots. Replace it. Saw cut it. Apply base. Pave it. And latex base runs off when water is added like when it rains. There's no proven scientific facts that say Gilsonite is bad for the air quality. Asphalt is Gilsonite for anyone that doesn't know that. Latex base/water base does nothing! It's a great way to make money on commercial lots because it last a couple of years. It hold quality to that, yes. But residential no. It's too thick- destroys asphalt. And when thinned, it's muck. I would never recommend asphalt emulsion/latex/water base for residential. It should be illegal in Nj
4thgen.educatedgyspy You have that backwards. It's Gilsonite and any coaltar product banned in DC, not latex products.
https://doee.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/ddoe/publication/attachments/Coal%20Tar%20Law.pdf
In any case, it's a moot point when it's *Gilsonite* that's banned by the DEP in the state of NJ. It doesn't matter what other states do, but in NJ anyone caught using Gilsonite is breaking the law. And the entire pavement has to be removed and replaced. It's happened down in the Cherry Hill area about 5 years ago with something like 10 million+ in restitution.
Children playing barefoot on driveways sealed with coal tar? Want them to get sick and pollute our water supplies, use the coal tar products. If you don't then don't seal your driveway or use latex (unless someone is allergic to latex)...
iJay We had our driveway sealed every year by Costello for about 5 years. Then we switched to Brushes Driveway Sealcoating because we heard the product Costello uses was not really a quality driveway sealant. Night and day difference. Our driveway looked oily and was slippery when wet after Costello did it. The "coating" also deteriorated quickly, hence the need to be done every year. I was home each time Costello came and it took him less than 15 minutes to do our driveway, start to finish. He sprays the product on in a very thin, almost paint like layer.
After Brushes did it, it looked like a newly paved driveway, wasn't oily at all and wasn't slippery when wet. 2 years later and it still looks great. Brushes spent an hour on our driveway. They applied their product with brushes and squeegees in a thick layer. They also commented about whatever was put down on our driveway before and how it was actually bad for the asphalt, not knowing who had done our driveway in the past.
You get what you pay for.
Harris The guy saying water based sealers are bad has the term "gypsy" in his name. So what does that tell you? Coal tar products are fine as long as you aren't drinking it like vodka. There are more PAH's released into your food when you grill it over charcoal then you could ever ingest from coal tar sealer.
Sm1979 +1 for Brush. Excellent long lasting results, he answers the phone, shows up when he says he will and charges what he quotes. Highly recommended.
Yankeefan LATEX BASE IS COAL TAR EMULSION! Causes black lung worse than cigarettes. When it's too hot the latex sealer peels up. Latex base cheap and doesn't last any longer than Gilsonite. Gilsonite last 1 - 2 years. If you think 1 coat of sealer is going to last forever then you should rent and not be an owner. Latex is best for commercial properties with a lot of traffic, Gilsonite isn't a good recommendation for commercial property. Gilsonite isn't recommended for driveways older 10 years without being coated. Driveways that dry require 2 coats of Gilsonite or latex base. Rubber expands and contracts... the latex sealer cracks and people think their asphalt is cracking. It's good for us pavers lol. Don't knock a working man. Because YOU got f;$/@ over don't throw a hissy fit and tantrum. anyone that holds a knife or gun to you ... run away in your house, hide call the cops. I don't think many people do that fora $300 driveway. And yes I am a gypsy. Educated, ethical work inclined, not blessed with the gidt of gab ... just trying to make it in this work like scamming finance and banking guys ...
4thgen.educatedgyspy GC - coal tar is latex base. Asphalt emulsion isnt. Gilsonite IS legal in DC. Gilsonite IS NOT Coal Tar. Coal tar is illegal in Texas as well As many other states. It's worse than cigarettes when sprayed.
Also - Gilsonite does not wash off after a rain storm. Coal tar/latex base washes off after a rain storm, and If dilutes with 50% or more water like on the hot 85• degree days it washes off after being dried and stains concrete, garage doors, retaining walls, etc. coal tar is illegal in more than states- Minnesota, New York, Texas and the list goes on. Gilsonite is legal New Jersey! Seaboard from Maryland came up with a waterbased Gilsonite... no coal tar. Leaglaized 3 years ago
Is this the company some of you are referring to?
http://www.brushdrivewaysealcoatingnj.com
JeffersonRepub 
EML I had Brush Driveway Sealcoating come out and do my driveway yesterday. It came out great!! He is a nice guy that does the job right. He was also very reasonable in price.
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