Homeowners have to contend with a myriad of options when choosing how they want their roads to look. With different materials available that could be used to spruce up your driveway, maintenance can become a bit of an issue if you do not understand the inputs used. Instead of just going for traditional gray concrete, you could try decorative concrete.
Unlike regular concrete, decorative concrete requires very little maintenance, which is enough to last for quite some time. However, since your driveway would be exposed to external factors that might reduce its lifespan, routine maintenance is critical if you want the path to look mint all the time. This article provides pointers on proper maintenance of your beautiful driveway.
Avoid Deicing Chemicals -- During winter, you might be tempted to use deicing agents to keep ice off the driveway or thaw it away. Despite the urge to do so, you should avoid deicing chemicals at all costs because they contain ammonium nitrates as well as ammonium sulfates that chemically attack the concrete. The chemicals are meant to fasten the thawing process but end up damaging the surface of your decorative driveway through scaling. The result is that you would be left with a scaled, patchy, and unsightly entrance.
Reapply Sealer after Cleaning -- Soft detergents and water would do the trick do when cleaning your decorative concrete driveway. However, you need to reapply a sealer after the cleaning process to protect the surface. The number of times you clean and reapply the seal would depend on different factors such as weather conditions, foot traffic, as well as human motor traffic. As a rule of thumb, a decorative concrete driveway that is exposed to average vehicle traffic should be resealed after every two years. If there is heavy car traffic or harsh climatic conditions, apply a sealer immediately the finish starts to show signs of wear. Since concrete sealers come with manufacturer's recommendations and instructions, it is vital to for better results.
Wipe Stains Immediately -- The work of a sealer on concrete driveways is to prevent stains from sticking on the concrete itself. However, when you leave gasoline, oil, or any other type of stains on the driveway longer than required, it might eat through the sealer and get absorbed. Once they are absorbed into the concrete, it becomes hard to get rid of thereby leaving you with a stained patch. Whenever you notice a stain on the driveway, wipe it off as soon as possible to prevent the stain from becoming permanent.
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