CreteART Cleaning & Maintenance

Oxidization from the sun and rain play a part in deteriorating the life of your concrete. Eventually, without treatment, a concrete surface will spall, flake and crack and continue to do so until it fails. Sealing has been shown to slow down this process.

Generally speaking, sealing a concrete driveway every 2 to 3 years is normal. But there are several factors which can vary that approximation.

Is it a spray application, or a squeegee application? How many coats are being applied?

Is it a quality product?

How detailed was the preparation or cleaning of the concrete done prior to applying the sealer on the last application?

These are some of the factors which can determine the life of a good concrete sealing job. Be careful, however, not to seal the driveway too frequently as that can cause more damage than good.

How much traffic is there on your driveway?

How much exposure to the sun does the driveway have?

Concrete sealing costs are determined by strict calculated method and not just a simple square foot price. Many times, we’ve had customers call us and ask, “How much would it cost to seal my driveway… just give me your square foot price?” And that seems pretty simple right? It seems like it would make sense for a contractor to be able to throw out a number, doesn’t it? Really, you should beware of any contractor that is willing to just throw out a number.

Oil spots on concrete can be unsightly. They gather dirt, become thick and slimy and the worst part… they just flat out look bad! Not to worry! A little elbow grease can go a long way.

Clean oil spots using a commercial de-greaser, a tough bristled broom or brush and hot water. You may have to brush and rinse a few times to get all of the oil off but in the end it’s well worth the effort. Just be sure to rinse off all of the de-greaser when you’re finished.

Unfortunately, concrete driveway cracks are something that are just going to happen. It’s the nature of the product. But those cracks should be sealed on a regular basis. How frequently should concrete driveway cracks be sealed?

Keeping cracks sealed up from moisture is extremely important and should be done every year.

Concrete overlays can be a beautiful addition to any home and can be done on just about any concrete surface: Driveways, patios, walkways, decks and the list goes on.

But how thick are concrete overlays?

There are two types of concrete overlays.

1/4″ Concrete Overlays

1/4″ overlays can be stamped, patterned, colored and even made even into murals, art designs and more.

Spray Concrete Overlays

Then there are overlays which are sprayed on and can be textured many different ways. Knockdown, orange peel, swirl patterns and more.

But each type of concrete overlay is performed on different applications. While a 1/4″ overlay can be done on a patio or sidewalk, they should not be done on a driveway as vehicles are much too heavy for a 1/4″ concrete overlays.

A concrete driveway overlay can be a beautiful addition to your home, but is your driveway a candidate? There are specific parameters that must be met for an overlay to be installed properly and last.

Is the existing concrete driveway cracked and heaving? If yes, unfortunately, a concrete driveway overlay is out of the question.

Is the existing driveway spalling? Is it continuously spalling? If yes, your driveway may or may not be a candidate.

Is the existing driveway in great shape with minor cracking, minor spalling or none at all? Then your driveway is the perfect candidate for a concrete driveway overlay.