How to Maintain Your Concrete Driveway

How to Maintain Your Concrete Driveway

Caring for your driveway is as important as taking care of your home, because if it cracks you will have a lot of problems in the long run. Though, a bit of upkeep every week is what you will have to sacrifice, and it will not take long. However, make sure that you know what chemicals you can and cannot use, so that you do not cause any permanent damage.

Getting Rid Of Stains and Spills Right Away

Similar to carpets, if you let a spill seep in, you will have a really hard time getting it out, and with concrete driveways you have a similar problem. If you let it get deep into the concrete, you will have a problem as the chemicals might damage it and make it crack, which could lead to other problems as well. As soon as you notice there was something spilled, use water and soap to get it out immediately.

Keep Your Concrete Driveway Well Protected

After a while, no matter how good care you take of your driveway, it will start cracking up and succumbing to wear and tear. Though, if you re-apply a sealer right away, you can add a protective layer to it. However, you have to act fast, because the more you allow the crack the spread, the more you will have to fix up later. Stock up on good quality sealers so that you can patch up your driveway as soon as you notice a crack appearing.

Dealing With Snow and Ice

Depending on the type of concrete you used, it will be important to choose such de-icers which will not cause any permanent damage to your driveway over time. Moreover, be sure to read the instructions on how to apply anti-ice so that you know what to do if there is some kind of an issue. However, you will not be able to escape your snow-shovel, and you will have to use it to get rid of the most of the snow.

Be Careful With Plants

Try to avoid planting anything that will have roots going everywhere, as it could penetrate the area below the concrete and it could mess it up. You should make sure that if you have some plants next to your concrete driveway that you trim them and take care of them on a regular basis, so that if there is anything going on, you will be able to notice and act on it.

Properly Cleaning Your Driveway

In essence, it is best to avoid using any chemicals or even soaps when you are cleaning your driveway, because it could slowly eat away the protective coating, and you could have a problem later on. For cleaning purposes it is best to learn how to use a pressure washer. Luckily, there are plenty of pressure washing trailers out there, so that you can quickly pick up on it, and that you can keep your driveway really clean and tidy. Just make sure that you do not set the pressure to high, so that you do not cause any accidental dents while cleaning.

Your driveway is an important part of your home, and if you keep it well-maintained, it will have a nice curb appeal. In general, you will not have to spend a lot of time on keeping up appearances, and your only worry will be to use the right type of sealer and to avoid spilling or using any chemicals.