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How to Effectively Remove Stains From Your Concrete Driveway

Concrete is known for its durability, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t encounter the occasional stain every once in awhile. This is especially true for heavily used concrete areas. Thankfully, all hope is not lost. You can absolutely remove stains from your concrete driveway, likely on your own. You just have to keep a few key things in mind along the way.

Prepare the Area

The number one thing you can do to help remove stains from your concrete driveway is properly prepare the area before you begin a more thorough cleaning. At a bare minimum, sweep all of that loose dirt, dust, and other debris from the area. Don’t be afraid to use a shop vacuum if you must. If there are any weeds growing, get rid of those, too.

All of this will make it significantly easier to embrace more rigorous methods moving forward.

Spot Treat If You Can

Because concrete driveways are relatively large spaces by design, it’s likely that you’re not dealing with an issue over the entirety of your driveway’s surface area. This is good, as it means you can spot treat as-needed. It’s the best way to stop a small issue today before it has a chance to become a much bigger one down the road (no pun intended).

Naturally, the methods you’ll use will vary depending on exactly what type of stain you’re talking about. If you’re dealing with grease or oil from a car, for example, begin by using sawdust to try to absorb as much as you can. If you don’t have sawdust handy, cat litter will be a decent substitute. Whatever you put down will absorb as much of the stain as possible and, given enough time, you can then sweep everything else away and see what you’re dealing with.

Rust stains are a big more intensive. Here, you’ll need to use an acid-based cleaner.

If your issue has to do with tire marks, the good news is that most degreasing solutions will be able to perform the lion’s share of the work for you.

If at First You Don’t Succeed…

Keep in mind that regardless of the type of stain you’re working with or the approach you use, everything might not go perfectly the first time. If you put down sawdust to try to get up oil and let it sit for a few hours, you may still have visible marks when you’re done.

This is okay. Simply apply more, wait awhile longer, sweep it back up, and try again. Continue to do this until you stop seeing progress.

Prevent Those Stains From Happening Again

Finally, remember that to avoid this type of situation in the future, you’ll want to apply sealer or wax to your concrete driveway. This can help prevent those stains from forming at all so that you don’t have to worry about cleaning.

Overall, one of the major reasons why concrete is so widely used in the first place has to do with its resiliency. Yes, stains can and do happen and some are a lot easier to remove than others. But whether you’re dealing with a leaky automobile or something a little more distressing, the most important thing to do is not worry. With a bit of knowledge and the right approach, you can effectively remove stains from your concrete driveway and restore it to its original appearance at the same time.

If you’d like to get additional tips about how to properly remove stains from your concrete driveway, or if you’d like to discuss your own concrete-related situation with someone in a bit more detail, please feel free to contact us today.

By admin Asphalt Driveway • • • 0 Comments

Why You Should See Your Concrete Driveway as the Investment it Really Is

When people think about making investments to their home that will ultimately improve the resale value, their mind usually goes directly for a few specific types of projects.

Naturally, you’ll want to make sure areas like the kitchen and bathroom are updated with modern designs and fixtures. You’ll also want to pay attention to critical systems like the roof or HVAC. But one area that most people don’t consider is also among the most crucial: the driveway.

That’s right – having a concrete driveway installed is absolutely an investment, and it should be treated as such. This is true for a number of different reasons, all of which are worth a closer look.

The Longevity Factor

For most people, the number one reason why a concrete driveway should be seen as an investment has to do with just how long-lasting it truly is. Concrete is an inherently durable material, which is why it is used so much throughout our daily lives.

The key takeaway is that so long as it is properly maintained, that driveway could last three or more decades without showing any obvious signs of distress. This means that you make sure that water needs to drain away from the driveway and not onto it whenever possible, for example. You’ll also want to take care to clean up any spills or stains as soon after they develop as possible.

Concrete is adept at standing up to the heaviest cars and trucks out there – which is great for the resale value of a home or even a commercial property.

No Fuss, No Muss

Along the same lines, concrete is also known for being notoriously easy to maintain. This is true to the point where most people go for years without thinking too much about their driveway at all.

If you were working with a material like asphalt, for example, you’d need to reseal it once a year or so. This is especially true if you live in an area of the country that gets all four seasons. You can get away with skipping a year, but if you do it too much you’ll be dealing with major issues after just five years.

With concrete, you should always seal it for maximum longevity, but beyond that, you don’t have to worry about much at all. Even cleaning concrete is comparatively simple. In most situations all you need is a broom, and the occasional session with the pressure washer will get up anything particularly “tough” from the surface.

Because of benefits like those outlined above, not only will you likely be able to sell a home faster with a concrete driveway, but you’ll likely command a higher asking price, too. This is because prospective buyers know that they don’t have to pull out an asphalt driveway (or worse, gravel) and replace it with a concrete one of their own.

In the end, your concrete driveway is absolutely an investment – and it’s one that deserves to be protected. Whether you’re not even thinking of selling your home or are preparing for a big move, it’s an element that you need to be proactive about taking care of. Concrete is a big part of the curb appeal of any space and if you do put a little work in now, it represents effort that will continue to pay dividends for years to come.

If you’d like to find out more information about why your concrete driveway is an investment in every sense of the term, or if you’d just like to discuss your own needs with a team of professionals in a bit more detail, please don’t delay – contact us today.