Like other parts of your home, your concrete driveway can help improve your property’s overall curb appeal. That’s because it’s the first thing people see when they approach or pass by your home. Paver driveways also rarely crack, and if they do it’s possible to restore driveway by replacing just the affected pavers. More attractive than mismatched patches, and less expensive than a whole new driveway.
However, your concrete driveway can start to crack and have a scaly appearance without proper care and maintenance. In such a case, you may end up losing one of your home’s beautiful features.
Thus, if you have a concrete driveway in your residential property, below are the four care and maintenance tips from the pros you may want to consider:
- Understand The Curing Process Better
One of the best concrete driveway care and maintenance tips from professionals is understanding the curing process during the installation. This process is crucial for ensuring your driveway will remain durable for several years to come. When you take curing for granted, you may compromise the quality and durability of this outdoor feature.
For instance, the curing process may stop prematurely if the concrete dries out very quickly and moisture sets in. Consequently, you’ll have weakened or flaky. To avoid this, you need to ensure proper curing by doing the following:
- Not using your concrete driveway for at least three days if you own a mid-size car;
- Not digging near the driveway to prevent the weakening of its support grade and the risk of other surface irregularities.
As you can see, proper curing contributes to the quality of the concrete. Although the concrete contractor Colorado Springs or other professionals you hire does an excellent installation job, the durability of the slab still depends on whether you understand the curing process. Hence, it’s best to get familiar with this job to achieve a favorable outcome in the long run.
- Eliminate Stains Right Away
Your concrete driveway is often exposed to different stains, such as gasoline, grease, oil, and other spills. When these stains stick to this fantastic part of your outdoor property, they’ll look old and not last for a long time.
To avoid this, it’s crucial to care for and maintain your concrete driveway by using a pressure washer and other cleaning chemicals. That way, you can keep it look better and in good shape for a long time.
- Conduct Regular Sealing
While using a pressure washer and other cleaning chemicals can prevent stain absorption in concrete driveways, it can still be an excellent idea to do regular sealing to safeguard it from the natural elements. When your driveway starts to crack, it can become a huge problem since it’s hard to stop.
As such, applying a sealer to your concrete driveway has been effective in ensuring it’ll not easily crack. Plus, it’s also one of the home improvements that add value to your property.
On the other hand, when you decide to use a sealer, you should familiarize yourself with the two types, namely the ‘dry look’ and ‘water look’ seal. While both of them function similarly, they have differences in terms of protection.
For example, if you want to protect your concrete driveway against oils and grease, you should apply the ‘wet look’ seal instead of the ‘dry look’ type. But, if you need protection for an extended period, using a ‘dry look’ seal can be a great idea.
However, if the sealing hasn’t prevented your concrete driveway from cracking, the professionals would recommend a concrete repair Colorado Springs company or wherever you may be to address the problem. By getting a professional repair, you can stop a minor issue from turning into a major expense.
- Don’t Use Any Deicers
Some people may have used deicers when caring for and maintaining their concrete driveways. Deicers are substances used for melting or preventing the formation of ice in surfaces, such as driveways, roads, and many more. Unfortunately, professionals would advise that using deicing chemicals may not suit your home’s driveway since they may cause damage, such as scaling and spalling.
For example, deicers containing ammonium sulfates and ammonium nitrates may attack the concrete chemically. Although calcium chloride or rock salt do less harm, they may still cause metal corrosion and damage to vegetation.
Therefore, if you need to maintain your concrete driveway, avoid using deicers. Instead, you may utilize sand for traction and to minimize the harmful effects of salt on one of your home’s attractive features.
Bottom Line
While concrete is one of the sturdiest paving materials for driveways, it still requires proper care and maintenance to preserve its service lifespan. When you fail to keep your concrete driveway in pristine condition, it may start to crack, develop a scaly appearance, or, worst, get damaged.
Therefore, to save yourself from the costly repairs or replacements of your concrete driveway, keep these tips from the pros in mind, and you’ll be confident with your decisions.
Mikael Saint
Mikael Saint is an expert in concrete and masonry work. He shares his knowledge and expertise about this kind of job by writing blogs and guest posts. During his free time, he goes hiking with friends and family.
