You have invested money in concrete driveways, thinking it may require no maintenance. Please do not believe people when they say concrete driveways do not require maintenance. The truth is, your driveway looks beautiful, but it requires little maintenance too. If you maintain your concrete driveway at regular intervals, its lifespan will increase and you can use your driveway for years. Here check the amazing ways of maintaining your driveway.
Reseal the driveway regularly:
The first and foremost factor on which the maintenance depends is the weather conditions of your location. If the weather conditions are pretty adverse and your driveway is exposed to heat or rain water, then you need to apply a protective coating on your driveway. If the weather conditions are good and you are living in a area where humidity level is moderate then you do not need to clean and reseal more frequently. The amount of traffic that your driveways receive also changes this resealing and cleaning process. Generally, you can find some cracks on your concrete driveway over the year because concrete is a porous material and it can accumulate moisture and dust. You need to seal your driveway every year to keep it protected from adverse climate. Even if it doesn’t show any sign, you also need to clean and reseal the driveways once in two years. You can contact your contractor for the project, or you can do it on your own.
De-stain your driveway at regular intervals:
If you regularly use the driveways, stains will come at regular intervals. The best way to increase the lifespan of your driveway is to clean it or de-stain it whenever you see a stain. Grease, gasoline, oil, coffee, tea, chemical spill, or anything can happen to the driveway. Cleaning such stuff from your concrete driveways is pretty easy and you can use water to clean such stains. Do not delay cleaning such spots, or you may need to use chemicals that can hamper the life and texture of your driveways in the long run.
Do not use harsh deicing chemicals:
Deicing chemicals are pretty harmful to your concrete driveways. Generally, such materials include ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate, or other salts. This will hamper the lifespan of your concrete driveways. You may face spalling and scaling. Lots of problems can take place when you use harsh chemicals as a deicing agent. If the winters are quite harsh in your locality, you must take help from agents that are not harmful for your concrete driveways. You can use sand anytime in place of salt. It provides proper traction, and it will not hamper the driveways chemically. The first winter after you set up your driveway is the most crucial one. The concrete used in the driveway is not adapted to adverse weather conditions till now. It is not properly set and accustomed to the weather too. Use sand and let your driveway breathe properly.
Save it from metal attacks:
Remember, your driveway is meant for residential purposes and not industrial purposes. It cannot sustain heavy vehicles or chemical applications. If you will use this driveway for commercial purposes, you need to prepare it for heavy traffic. Do not use metal blades during the maintenance as this can create scratches on your driveway or scrape off a portion of it.
Conclusion:
Maintain all these points, and you may end up having a wonderful concrete driveway in the long run. If you take care of it regularly, its lifespan will increase. Reach your contractor if you face any problems during the maintenance of your concrete driveway.
