When it comes to home repairs, people don’t think twice. If we have roofing or plumbing issues, we usually don’t hesitate to get them fixed. Furthermore, we are constantly concerned with keeping these aspects of our home in the best possible condition. That being said, most people do not pay the same amount of attention to their driveway, even though driveways are an important part of our homes as well. It is not until our driveway starts falling apart that we start to think about it. We believe that everyone needs to take care of their driveways. Therefore, we have decided to give you a few driveway maintenance tips every homeowner should know.
Fix Any Cracks That Appear in the Concrete
If your driveway concrete has begun to crack or has broken off in sections, it is imperative that you fix the problem as soon as possible. This is because if you leave these issues unsolved over winter, the problem can become much worse. That being said, if you notice that cracking issues are only beginning to happen, there are a few things that you can do right away. To stop further damage from occurring, fill any cracks or holes in the concrete with a concrete patching product. After that, give the driveway a good sweep and then give it a power wash to get rid of the dirt and debris.
Sealing the Driveway Will Stop Cracks from Appearing
There are a variety of driveway types. However, one of the most popular types of driveways is a concrete driveway. Concrete is ideal because of its longevity and suitability. Nevertheless, even just one component can wreak havoc on concrete. When the temperature drops in the winter, any water that has made its way into the concrete will freeze and expand. As a direct consequence of this process, cracks will develop at an alarmingly rapid rate. It may be possible for them to grow considerably longer and wider in the span of just one winter. You should apply a concrete sealer to your driveway in order to prevent cracks from appearing. Even if you have never sealed your driveway before, you will protect your driveway this winter if you do it now.
To begin, give the driveway a good power washing. This will help you get rid of any dirt, grime, and other forms of filth that are on the surface. The next step is to get rid of the tough grease and oil stains from your driveway. You can do this by using a concrete and asphalt cleaning agent, which you can get at almost any hardware store. Last but not least, apply the sealant of your choice to your driveway. You can purchase high-quality commercial sealers in most home improvement and building supply stores. There are two main types of sealant you should be looking at:
- The dry-look seal comes at a higher price, but because it is incorporated into the concrete, it offers protection that is more long-lasting—up to ten years
- The wet-look seal is less expensive and prevents stains from grease and oil, but it needs to be renewed every three to five years
Be Cautious When Removing Snow
Many people use salt or chemical de-icing treatments for their driveways during winter. However, depending on the age and the type of your driveways, this method could be doing more harm than good. In particular, if you use de-icers, you can cause scaling and spalling of the concrete as the ice melts and then refreezes. If you have a new concrete driveway, you need to be extra careful with these chemical agents. This is because fresh concrete is more prone to damage from salt and other chemical agents. That is why it is essential to steer clear of these substances during the first winter after you install a new concrete driveway.
If you want your concrete driveway, you can do what müv | Trusted Central Florida Movers recommend and sprinkle sand on your driveway. This will help increase traction so that you don’t need to use any abrasive chemicals to remove the snow. However, you have a few options if you really need to remove snow and ice from your driveway. We recommend that you use either a snowblower or a plastic shovel to clean the snow and ice. If you decide to go this route, you just need to be careful not to be too rough. If you make a single crack in the concrete, over time, it can become much bigger.
Smart Parking for Driveway Maintenance
It may seem counterintuitive to make this one of our driveway maintenance tips, but we have to mention it. It’s true that concrete is strong, but that doesn’t mean it’s indestructible. Try to avoid putting too much pressure on the edges of the driveway. The concrete of your driveway is the weakest at the edges. If it is at all possible, park your vehicle away from the edge of the driveway, and make sure that any heavy equipment or construction trucks do the same.
Regularly Clean Your Driveway
And the last of our driveway maintenance tips every homeowner should know is to keep your driveway as clean as possible. Grease and oil can penetrate the surface of the concrete. You can see this if you look carefully. These materials permanently change the color of concrete. Even if you seal the concrete, you need to deal with any stains that appear on it as quickly as possible. If you don’t do this, you will not be able to preserve the pristine appearance of your driveway. Additionally, this saturation will severely compromise the strength of your driveway. Therefore, if there is liquid on the surface of the concrete, you can remove it by dusting it with sawdust. If at all possible, give it a day in order to ensure that all of the material is absorbed. Then, you can use specific grease-cutting and biodegradable detergents to do the rest.
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