Concrete driveways are durable and aesthetically pleasing, however, things like harsh weather conditions, wear and tear, and potholes can make your driveway look old and outdated. This decreases curb appeal, property value, and comfortability. The potholes can also damage your cars or cause minor accidents. To avoid such and also make your concrete driveway look new again, resurface the driveway. Resurfacing is cheaper and a more sensible option to replacement. Resurfacing works by applying a concrete coating over the old driveway. This option adds color and a new pattern to your driveway, making it look new at once. How do you resurface your old concrete driveway? Keep on reading.
Steps to Resurface Your Concrete Driveway?
1. Clean the old concrete driveway
Cleaning the concrete driveway is an important step in the resurfacing process. This is to prepare the surface for the new layer. The new layer needs to adhere steadfast to the old surface but the presence of any type of dirt would be a problem. To resolve that, make sure you remove oil, dirt, and grease. Asides from dirt, removing paints and sealers is also important. Also check for any large cracks and repair any before moving on to the next step.
2. Mix concrete resurface to syrup consistency
Mixing your concrete resurfacer requires a power drill outfitted with a barrel-attachment and a paddle mixer. If you’re going DIY, ten it’s time to add another person to yourself. Your extra hands will help you pour the resurfacer into the mixer after you must have added about 5 gallons of water. Mix the resurfacer until you achieve a lump-free, syrup consistency. This should take about 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Spread the concrete resurface
Before you begin to spread the resurfacer, make sure the expansion joints are weather-stripped to avoid the resurfacer from filling them. Now, once you’re done mixing your resurfacer, the next immediate step is to spread it across your concrete driveway. The urgency is because the resurfacer needs to remain lump free and in a syrup-like state. To avoid it from hardening, keep the resurfacer away from the sun and mix with cold water. But if you’re working on a wider area, then mix in batches.
4. 24 hours before usage
Like with any concrete construction, there’ll be a waiting period before usage. Foot traffic can resume in six hours while vehicular traffic should wait for 24 hours.