While there are many people who disregard their driveways as things that are only really used to prevent tyres from unnecessarily dragging on the grass or gravel, there are actually many ways that you can use your driveway to spruce up the appearance of your property. Whether you are looking to increase the kerb appeal of your house or you simply want to make sure that your concrete driveways are looking brand-new, there are quite a few ways that you can breathe a little bit of life into the lifeless concrete.
1. Using Sealers
As you might already know, concrete driveways need sealers in order to maximise the life that you will get out of the driveway. Without the sealer, your concrete driveway will be exposed to the elements of nature, which will ultimately chip away at the decades that your driveway can last. If you want to not only make the most out of the money you spent on the driveway but also ensure that your driveway looks good year-round, you should make sure that you are applying the sealer regularly.
The sealer should be applied when the driveway is first paved or installed and then every so often, you need to clean off the driveway and reapply the sealer to make sure that the driveway stays properly protected from the elements. There are several different types of sealers so it is important that you do your research on them; however, this shouldn’t take you too long to finish. Some sealers are better for stormier environments as they have higher water resistance. Other sealers are better for areas that get a lot of sunlight and hot weather. It depends on where you are and what the weather is around you.
2. Remove Stains as Soon as You See Them
Nobody enjoys looking at a stained driveway. And if you don’t take measures to clean up the stains when they happen, they’re going to stay there for a while. If you want to make sure that your driveway looks as good as possible, then this is probably the last thing that you want to have happen. Even if you just use a broom to try to sweep away the dirt off, it can do a lot for the appearance of concrete driveways.
With that being said, you should make sure that you have the equipment needed for some of the heavier duty stains. A power washer is going to be key. Even if you don’t want to invest in one, you should at least learn where the nearest rental is or get in touch with a company that offers power washing services. You should also make sure that you have some cleaning chemicals in storage as these can do quite a bit for your driveway as well.
3. Don’t Use De-Icers
Many people use de-icers in the winter to keep snow and ice off the driveway and this would usually make sense, as an icy driveway serves nobody well. However, most of the materials in de-icers can do a lot of damage to concrete in particular. The main culprit in this is ammonium nitrate, which does the worst damage to your driveway. Consider using an alternative to de-icers, such as rock salt, as long as you don’t have a blooming garden right beside the driveway. If you do have a garden, you might want to consider using sand, which isn’t harmful to the driveway or the environment around it and will keep concrete driveways safe to use in icy, snowy weather.
When in doubt, approach your local professional driveway experts. Driveway specialists come with years of experience and will be able to advise you should you have any queries. Follow the tips above and with just minimal effort, you will keep the surface of your concrete driveway looking great for longer!