Maintenance Tips for Your Exterior Concrete

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We spend a lot of time concerned with the maintenance on the inside of our house. When was the last time you considered the maintenance of the outside of your house? Did you know there are a few simple steps you can take to actually extend the life of your driveway?

Use a Broom & Garden Hose

Keep your driveway clean by sweeping it occasionally. You can also use a garden hose to wash off the concrete when it gets extremely dirty. Many people like to power wash their driveway, particularly during the summer. This can be harmful to the concrete on extremely hot days because the cold water coming from the tap hitting the very hot concrete creates a stress on the concrete and it can cause damage over time.

Wintertime Cleaning

During the winter months in colder climates, salt and brine are scattered on the road to melt the frozen precipitation. This salt and brine are picked up by the car and eventually tracked onto your driveway. Over time, this salt and brine can eat away at the surface of your concrete.  You will want to keep your driveway as clean as possible during the winter months so the solution does not sit on the surface for an extended period of time.

Prevent Spalling

Spalling is a surface failure of the concrete as a result of water penetrating the porous concrete surface during the winter months.  This moisture can then freeze within the concrete below the surface as it penetrates.  As this moisture freezes it expands within the concrete, which causes pressure under the surface.  As this process is repeated several times, the pressure caused by expansion and contraction, can break down the surface of your driveway.  This break down shows up as pit marks in the surface where it looks like the aggregate is exposed.

Keeping your driveway clean can help minimize the severity of spalling. You can also help lessen the chances of spalling occurring by keeping salt and other destructive agents off of your driveway.  Another way to protect the concrete surface is by applying a penetrating sealer. Make sure the sealer follows the concrete institute’s standard, “ASTMC309” for penetrating concrete sealers.

Prevent Driveway Cracking During the Winter

All driveways crack. In fact, we try to help force where your driveway will crack when we trowel in control joints after the concrete is placed.  This cracking occurs because concrete naturally contracts and expands during the life of your driveway.

You want to keep moisture from getting in through these cracks, which can freeze and also cause damage from expansion and contraction. To help minimize any moisture getting into these cracks you can fill them in with a concrete crack filler or sealant, which will also help prolong the life of your driveway.

There are a number of things you can do to maintain your driveway and extend its life. By keeping your driveway clean, sealing the surface, and filling in the cracks in your driveway, you can enjoy your driveway for years to come.