Concrete Driveway Getting Older And Looking Bad? 2 Tips To Get It Looking New Again
If you have a concrete driveway that is getting older, it may look bad, which can affect your landscaping and how your home looks. Instead of spending money replacing the driveway, there are things you can do to get it looking new again, two of which are listed below.
Clean Your Driveway
The main thing you should do is clean the driveway to remove all dirt and debris. First, sweep the driveway with a large broom to remove loose debris, such as leaves, sticks, etc. You can use a leaf blower to make things much easier and faster.
Once all debris is gone you need to clean the driveway. You can use a pressure washer to do this, which will make things much faster, especially if you have a large driveway. If you do not have a pressure washer or do not want to do this on your own, you can hire a professional to provide driveway pressure cleaning.
Purchase cleaner made specifically for concrete to put in the pressure washer. Look at the instruction manual that came with your pressure washer and it should give you recommended settings for cleaning concrete. Place the cleaner in and start at the top of the driveway and work your way down moving the wand back and forth as you go. When you are finished, put clean water in the pressure washer to rinse the cleaner off. You could also use a garden hose to rinse the driveway.
Make Repairs
Once your driveway is clean you should be able to see if any repairs need to be made. For example, you may now see cracks that were hidden by dirt before. If you do see any damage, you should repair the cracks quickly before they spread across your driveway and become much larger. There is concrete filler that you can purchase at a home improvement store. If you have colored concrete, you can find a filler that matches the color of your driveway. Clean out the inside of the crack by blowing or using a small, hand brush. This will remove dirt and debris inside the crack so the filler will adhere better. Follow the directions on the filler that you purchased on how to use it.
If you see larger damage on your driveway, hire a concrete contractor to make the repairs for you. They can repair large problems so you will not have to worry about replacing the driveway. For example, if there is a lot of damage the concrete contractor can put a new layer of concrete over the driveway making it look completely new.
Along with these two tips consider putting a sealant on your driveway to protect it from further damage.
Contact a driveway pressure cleaning service to learn more.