Reasons You May Need to Clean Your Concrete Driveway
Concrete driveways have a way of looking sleek and clean when they’re first installed. They can also withstand a lot of environmental factors. But, as with everything, a concrete driveway is going to end looking less than pretty after a few years. The bottom line is your concrete driveway is bound to get dirty at one point or another for a variety of reasons. When it does end up getting dirty, it’s usually due to a few specific things from oil and grease stains to rust and dirt stains.
Oil/Grease Stains
Though oil and grease stains can occur independently of one another, they can often end up coming together. Typically, these stains will appear if someone has been working on a car on the driveway. They can also show up if you’re working with any sort of machinery on the driveway, or you simply spilled some oil. Regardless, these two are usually listed together due to the fact that they are often cleaned through the same techniques.
Rust/Dirt Stains
Rust can show up concrete with enough time, or if someone has left something that can easily rust on top of it. Regardless, rust stains can be annoying and an eye sore for an owner of a concrete driveway, and the same goes for dirt stains. Dirt stains can appear in wide variety of ways. They can show up from dirty shows leaving tracks, or from the tires of your car. Rust and dirt stains are also grouped together due to their cleaning processes being similar.
Tools & Materials Needed to Clean a Concrete Driveway
When it comes to the actual process of cleaning a concrete driveway, the tools you may need to do so may vary. Though a power washer may prove to be an efficient tool to get rid of one type of stain, it may not be the best for another kind. Regardless, below are the two best tools or materials to make use of when cleaning a concrete driveway.
Power Washer/ Scrubber
The best way to get rid of most stains is with a power washer. A power washer launches powerful streams of pressurized water wherever you point it. Most of the time, these streams are enough to clean up any stain you choose. Make sure to exercise extreme caution when using one, as they can be dangerous if not handled properly. If you can’t get your hands on a power washer, then scrubbing out stains can do the trick too with a good scrubber and a little detergent or cleaner.
Soap/ Cleaning Solutions
As mentioned above, soaps, detergents, and chemical cleaners are good for getting deep stains out of concrete driveways. These sorts of cleaners can also be dangerous if not handled correctly. When buying any cleaner, or chemical to be used to help with concrete stains, you need to read up on them to make sure they’re safe. When applying said cleaner to a driveway, you may need to scrub or let it do its thing without scrubbing. This will all depend on the cleaner and the stain. A cleaning solution can be really helpful in many situations.
How Cleaning Your Driveway Extends Its Life
As you may have assumed, cleaning a concrete driveway is actually good for making it last longer than if you had left it uncleaned. Most things that end up leaving stains on your driveway can ultimately allow substances from the stains to seep into it, damaging it from the inside out until it is no longer usable. Allowing stains to stay on your driveway will let these substances seep deep into your concrete driveway. Even if the damage isn’t noticeable right away, it may start to be with time. If you want your concrete driveway to last, clean it regularly. If you do, you may find that your driveway will last a long time. Cleaning your driveway is important, don’t ignore it.
What is Concrete Sealing?
Concrete sealing is a process in which concrete sealer is applied to an existing concrete surface to protect from a number of ailments. Doing so can preserve the concrete for a much longer period of time than it originally would’ve lasted. It also makes it look newer. Before sealing concrete, it must be clean and in good condition. After cleaning it, give it time to dry before sealing it as to not trap any water still on the surface. Concrete sealing can be a difficult process, so contact a professional if needed and look into the different kinds of sealers before attempting the job.
If You Want a New Concrete Driveway Instead, Contact Apex Concrete & Hauling
Sometimes, a driveway can’t be saved. This can often happen if enough time passed before it was cleaned, or if the driveway has undergone immense punishment, or even if it’s just very old. If you’re in need of a new driveway, contact Apex Concrete & Hauling. With our team of professionals we can install a new concrete driveway that will look great and last long. If you’re in North Carolina and are in need of a new concrete driveway, contact us now!