Essential Concrete Driveway Maintenance Tips You Should Know

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Concrete is a time-tested material that has many uses in the construction world. One of its most popular uses is the construction of pavements, including driveways.

Although concrete driveways have a long service life, the common notion that they don't require maintenance is misplaced. Without proper care and upkeep, these driveways can degrade more quickly than expected, resulting in premature driveway replacements.

If you want to construct a concrete driveway in your home or business, here are some useful maintenance tips to help you maximise its service life.

Seal the driveway

One of the best ways to prevent early failure of your concrete driveway is to have it sealed. Concrete is a porous material, meaning water can easily penetrate it. If water penetrates the surface of your driveway and reaches the base layer, it can cause major damage to the entire pavement.

Concrete sealing involves applying a protective coating over the surface of the concrete to prevent water damage. This should be done periodically and after thoroughly cleaning the concrete to remove accumulated dirt and grime that can affect the quality of the sealing process.

Prevent standing water on the driveway

Just like the roof of a building, your residential or commercial concrete driveway will become damaged if water is allowed to stand on it for a long time.

To prevent this from happening, you should regularly clean your stormwater drains to keep the water out of the driveway.

Avoid adding salt or deicing chemicals to the driveway

During the icy days, you may be tempted to put salt or deicing chemicals on your driveway to make the ice melt away faster. While these products are effective at getting rid of the ice, they can damage your driveway by causing corrosion to happen under the surface of the concrete.

Consider improving the traction on your driveway with coarse sand. It is a much safer alternative to fast-acting salt and deicing chemicals. 

Fix minor damage immediately

Like it or not, your concrete driveway will eventually crack and develop potholes. If you see any cracks or potholes on your driveway, it is important that you get them repaired right away to prevent bigger problems down the line. 

Cracks require crack-filling repairs while potholes will need to be patched.

Clean the driveway

Keeping your concrete driveway clean is important not just for cosmetic reasons but for the driveway's longevity as well. The dirt, grease and motor oil that accumulate on the driveway over time can gradually eat away at the concrete, leading to its premature failure.

Concrete driveways offer a variety of great benefits to their users. They are not only exceptionally hard and durable but also make for a comfortable driving experience and can reduce road traffic emissions. Concrete provides a smooth and rigid driveway surface that decreases the rolling resistance of the vehicles that ride over it. This not only results in better fuel consumption but also reduces vehicle emissions. To enjoy these benefits and more, contact a local concrete contractor for the installation and maintenance of your residential or commercial driveway.

For more information on concrete driveways, contact a company near you.

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