One of the best materials used for constructing driveways is concrete. It is most probably the toughest material on the market today. However, there are still ways to make sure that it would last for a long period of time. Concrete cleaning and sealer application are just some of the things that you could do to maintain the durability of the concrete.
There is always a need for regular maintenance in a concrete driveway that is usually used. In fact, whether it is concrete or not, driveways of any paving material require maintenance.
Here are a few of the things that you could do in order to keep your concrete driveway clean and sturdy.
Concrete cleaning
Cleaning the concrete is the simplest form of maintenance that you can do regularly. You should treat concrete in the same way as other surfaces. Simply use specialist products that are designed for concrete to obtain the best results.
If you own a huge driveway, cleaning it on your own can become quite tedious. It is highly recommended to hire a concrete scrubber instead. It will save you a lot of time and you are guaranteed to have your driveway looking good as new.
Apply sealer
After cleaning the surface of the driveway, it is now time to apply a layer of sealant. It is advisable to do it every two years in order to keep your concrete looking perfect.
Unlike stencilled or stamped concrete plain grey concrete has no colour to protect. On the other hand stencilled, stamped or coloured concrete needs a barrier between it and your car or foot traffic and a couple of coats of decorative sealer will do the trick. If you don’t maintain your patterned driveway with sealer the chances are that eventually the colour will wear off in patches and will need open heart surgery to make it look good again. Read more here.
The kind of sealer that you use will greatly determine the outcome of the sealing process. Some sealers can protect your concrete from water and salt. You should choose a product that would work well on your concrete. Check this out.
In the event that oil spillages are your main concern, you might want to take a closer look at high-performance epoxy or urethane sealers.
Remove stains immediately
If there are visible stains on your concrete, you should try to remove them immediately. Leaving stains to dry can lead to damaging results. A stain can become permanent if left neglected for several days. You might not be able to remove permanent stains anymore so it is always a must to tackle them as soon as possible.
Everyday cleaning products might not be enough to tackle concrete stains.
You can refresh your old driveway just by cleaning and painting it. You can make the job easier by learning a few techniques to do the job properly. Learn more here.
There are different ways in how you can perform these tasks. You can use an oven cleaner that contains chemicals that can remove grease and grime. After application, leave it for around ten minutes before brushing.
For large areas of discolouration or stains, you may need to use proper concrete cleaning products. Alternative products are only effective for minor stains.
Additional reading: | |
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