Whether your concrete surface is a driveway at home or a large-scale parking lot at your place of business, maintaining your concrete surface is the best way to ensure that it lasts for many years to come. New concrete may seem indestructible, but it can become damaged after just a few years if it’s not cared for properly. Fortunately, maintaining concrete is relatively easy. Although some of these steps can be do-it-yourself projects, we encourage you to depend on the services of a reputable concrete paving company to ensure that the proper steps are taken at the appropriate times in the lifecycle of your concrete surface.
- Keep it clean. It’s important to keep your concrete surface as clean as possible. Fluids such as oil, grease and gasoline are common spills on exterior concrete surfaces. A good quality concrete cleaner used in conjunction with a pressure washer is a great way to keep surfaces free of stains. This is a relatively easy task to do yourself if you’re just cleaning a driveway. But if your concrete surface is a large parking lot, you may want to hire a professional to get the job done.
- Apply sealer on a regular basis. Sealing concrete on a regular basis helps to protect it from wear and tear caused by exposure to weather and vehicle traffic. Typically, concrete surfaces will probably need to be sealed every two or three years, but that time period will vary depending on the climate and the amount of use the surface endures. Concrete paving professionals can provide you with more information and recommendations about how often your surface should be resealed.
- Stay away from chemicals if possible. Some chemicals can damage concrete. This is particularly true of products such as de-icers. If you live in a cold climate and want to provide traction on your concrete surface, try sand instead. Rock salt is another option, although that can harm plants that may live adjacent to your concrete surface, and salt can be corrosive to metal as well.
- Don’t damage the surface of the concrete. Any type of tool with a metal blade can damage your concrete surface, so try to avoid use of instruments like snow shovels if possible.
Whatever you do, don’t underestimate the importance of sealing your concrete. Although concrete is a remarkably durable material, if it’s not sealed on a regular basis, it can form cracks and begin to flake after a certain period of time. Concrete sealant will help to prevent that. Concrete is a major investment, but if you care for it properly, it can last for decades.