A well maintained driveway can increase the value on your home and give you some extra curb appeal. There are many ways to ensure your driveway looks good and we here at Liberty Ready Mix want to share a few of our tips with you.
Restore Cracks and Seal your Driveway
Small cracks in your driveway may seem unimportant to tend to at first, but if not taken care of quickly, they can turn into a serious issue. Leaving a crack unmaintained will allow weeds the opportunity to start to grow through the crack, making it larger and forcing you to have to deal with pulling and killing the weeds that pop up. Use concrete patching or a crack filler to take up the empty space of the crack.
Depending on where you live, your driveway should be sealed about every 4 years and every 2 years if you live in an area with frequent snow. Sealing your driveway prevents chemicals from damaging the concrete material and helps extend the lifetime of your driveway.
Exercise Caution During the Winter
There are multiple things you can do during the winter to continue to protect your driveway from possible damage. First off, when shoveling, try using a plastic shovel instead of metal as the metal can cause damage to the concrete. If you use a snowblower, be careful that the blades are not too low to avoid constantly hitting the concrete and generating cracks. Lastly, avoid using salt or other deicers on your concrete. They can penetrate the surface of your concrete and create cracks.
Clean Up Spills
Stains are a pain to have on your driveway and if not taken care of quickly, can be that much harder to remove. In order to clean oil spills to avoid it becoming a permanent blotch on your driveway, pour absorbent material and let it stay there for a few hours to dry. After that, remove the absorbent material your poured and clean area with detergent.
Avoid Large Weight on Your Driveway
Residential concrete driveways are not built to withstand large amounts of weight for extended periods of time. Placing a large truck or other things that can put pressure on the concrete result in possible breaks. Instead, try to leave heavy things on the side of the road to avoid reducing the longevity of your concrete driveway.
Get It Replaced
All driveways will eventually need a replacement. Here are some things to consider if you think it’s time for an upgrade.
Hire A Professional
This isn’t a job for the inexperienced. Hiring a professional with years of experience and knowledge in the concrete and construction field will help you finish your driveway correctly and efficiently. Liberty Ready Mix has been working in the residential sector for over a decade and is a great choice when you think it’s time to replace your driveway.
Plan the Right Time
Warmer weather is the best time to install new concrete, so try to avoid getting your new driveway during the winter. The process of tearing up your current driveway and installing the new concrete could take 1-3 days, and then extra days following that to allow the concrete to dry. While it is not required, it is recommended that you try to find a way for someone to be available at that house to survey the process. This allows you and the concrete company to have a transparent relationship, and you can oversee what they’re doing and resolve any issues or questions you have before the concrete dries.
Understand the Process
Familiarizing yourself with the process of how your new driveway gets installed will help you feel confident as your project progresses. During the excavation process, a concrete company will remove all of the concrete and take it to a facility to be recycled and reused. They will prepare for the new concrete by replacing the worn gravel, and compacting a base. They will then pour 4 inch thick slab of concrete, which is the standard for residential driveways.
Liberty Ready Mix
We wish you the best of luck with maintaining your driveway! If you have questions or want to schedule a consultation to discuss possibly replacing your concrete driveway, contact Liberty Ready Mix and we would be thrilled to offer our services.