Resurfacing a Concrete Driveway

Over time you are going to find that your concrete driveway develops cracks in it, this is largely the result of the weather and the wear and tear of driving on it. In the past once you got cracks in your driveway the only way to repair them was to rip it up and pour a new surface. This is not necessary any more as the cracks can be filled and the driveway resurfaced quite easily. It is a job that you should be able to do on your own which will help to the keep the cost down.

The first thing that you are going to want to do in order to resurface your driveway is to make sure that you clean it. The driveway needs to be clean in order for the resurfacing to be effective. Using a pressure washer is the best way to make sure that you get it clean. If you have any oil stains on your driveway you will need to use a degreasing agentto get them off. It is also important that you clean out the cracks that you plan to fill. Scrape them out as best you can and then pour a small amount of bleach into the crack. After about ten minutes take your pressure washer and spray the cracks out.

In order to fill the cracks you are going to want to use a concrete dressing. For small cracks you can use a putty knife to force the dressing down into the crack, for larger ones you will find that a caulking gun works better. In either case once the cracks have been filled use a putty knife to smooth out the dressing.

Once the cracks are filled you are going to have to cover the expansion joints. These are the lines that divide the concrete of your driveway into sections. They are there so that the concrete can expand and contract as the weather changes. You need to make sure that these expansion joints remain in place so you will want to cover them with duct tape.

The next step is to mix the concrete dressing; you will want to follow the instructions on the bag for that. You are going to need somebody to help you unless you are doing just a very small area. The concrete needs to be mixed in small batches and applied quickly. For a driveway you will need to have one person applying the concrete dressing while the other is mixing the next batch. You want to get the entire driveway covered before the dressing starts to dry.

In order to spread the concrete dressing you will want to pour it onto the slab and then spread it out. If you are doing just a small area the best way to do it is with a trowel, for large areas a long handled squeegee is the best bet. In either case make sure that you push down hard so that you can get the concrete dressing into all of the crevices, this will make sure that you have a nice smooth surface.

When you are resurfacing a driveway you don’t want the concrete to be smooth, your driveway should have texture to it. The way that you do this is to take a bristle push broom and pull it across the concrete dressing while it is still wet. This will make sure that you get a textured surface that will be slip resistant.

The last thing that you will need to do is to remove the duct tape that you had covering the expansion joints. You are going to want to stay off of the driveway for the next six hours while the dressing dries. After twenty four hours you will need to be put a sealant on your driveway to protect it.

Resurfacing a concrete driveway is not a particularly difficult to task but you do have to work quickly. You will need somebody to help you but it is a good project for a homeowner to do themselves. The cost to resurface a concrete driveway is now quite low and it can really improve the look of your house.

How to Seal a Concrete Driveway

If you have a concrete driveway you are going to want to put a sealant on it to protect it. This is something that will need to be done when the driveway is first built and then it should also be done every three to ten years. Just how often you do it will depend on the weather in your area and how much use the driveway gets. In general if you live in colder climate you will want to seal your driveway more often. Remember that before you seal your driveway the first time after it has just been built you need to make sure that you wait at least twenty one days for the concrete to cure.

The first thing that you are going to have to do before you even start to seal your concrete driveway is to make sure that you will have a couple of days of good weather. You will ruin the seal if you get it wet while the sealant is still drying so you need to make sure that you will not have any rain during this time, if the weather is at all doubtful wait for another day.

The next thing that you are going to want to do is make sure that you give your driveway a good cleaning. Any dirt that is on your driveway when you put the sealant on will be sealed in. this is not going to look good. Give your driveway a good sweep and then spray it down with a hose. It is often a good idea to get a pressure washer to make sure that the driveway is really clean. After you have cleaned the driveway you will have to wait twenty four hours before you put the sealant on so that you can be sure that it is completely dry.

The next thing that you are going to have to do is to choose the right sealer for the job.There are several options available when it comes to concrete driveway sealers but in most cases you will find that a penetrating siliconate one is the best. That being said you should research your choices so that you can be sure that you are getting the right one for your needs.

Once you have chosen your driveway sealer the next thing that you will have to decide on is how you plan to apply. You basically have three options, you can use a brush,a roller,or a sprayer,
really it is like painting in that regard. A sprayer will make the job go a lot faster, especially if you have a large driveway.

When you start applying the sealant you are going to want to work on just a small area at a time. Apply it in thin layers and have your coats overlap slightly, again this is just like painting. If you start to get puddles grab a brush and spread them out so that they don’t dry that way. You want to apply just enough sealant that the concrete turns a slightly whitish color.

Once you have applied the sealant you have to make sure that you stay off of the driveway for at least twenty four hours. After that your driveway should be good to go as this is all there is to sealing a concrete driveway.