Custom Concrete Driveways Care

A great feature of beautiful custom concrete driveways is that done right they require little maintenance or care. But you can’t find custom concrete driveway paving material that doesn’t require some attention. Following are a few suggestions to help you preserve the life and look of this important investment.

You need to clean custom concrete driveways once in a while and reseal it. The frequency of sealing and cleaning depends upon your climate as well as vehicle traffic. In general, it should be resealed every couple of years or when it looks worn. You can go to suppliers or hardware stores and get good commercial sealers. Or you can get advice from a contractor. Always follow the manufacturer’s directions when applying.

A sealer can offer some protection from stains being absorbed, but it’s still wise to take off things like gas and grease as soon as you can. You can pressure wash or use cleaning chemicals if there is discoloration of the concrete.

Using de-icer on custom concrete driveways can mar the surface because it forces melting and refreezing of water. Those that contain ammonium nitrates and sulphates are particularly damaging since they work chemically on the concrete. You’ll do better with rock salt or calcium chloride, but they do corrode metal and hurt plant life. The first winter the driveway is in, try not to use any of these products since it will be very open to damage. You can instead put down sand for traction.

Concrete is certainly among the strongest paving materials used for driveways, but most home driveways aren’t made to support huge vehicles, like moving vans, and pieces of construction equipment. And be careful when you take snow off the driveway, trying not to use metal blades that could scratch its surface.

Concrete lasts, and as a driveway is known to be free of hassles to homeowners. Lots of them last for three decades or more without needing to be replaced. As with all quality purchases, the investment over the long term is usually worth it and it winds up costing less over time. A custom designed concrete driveway leading from street to garage will look beautiful and will add value to your house, too.