When someone is visiting your house, good and nicely constructed driveways always attract a lot of attention. In present times, most of the homeowners go for a concrete driveway due to the various benefits it offers.
Benefits of Concrete Driveways–
It offers durability which is a very important factor for driveways when it comes to concrete driveways Sydney. As it is a versatile material not only for driveways but also for floor and porches, people are selecting concrete over asphalt or gravel.
You may find these driveways costlier as compared to the asphalt ones, but it is important to notice that the ones made from concrete are more durable, looks nicer and also require less maintenance. These hard and sturdy driveways can last for more than 20 years with a little maintenance.
You only need to apply a concrete sealer to avoid wearing and to prevent stains. You can color and stamp it for a beautiful and attractive appearance if you find plain concrete dull and boring. The cost of installing concrete driveways can be saved as you can yourself do most of the work related to installation.
Both the look and value of a property as well as offer a dry and flat place to park a vehicle can be enhanced with concrete driveways.
There are several patterns that you can give your driveway made of concrete. These patterns will add a long-lasting quality to the home and will also help in adding visual satisfaction.
The biggest advantage of a concrete driveway is that it can be changed into any desired pattern, shape and color. To enhance and add elegance to an ordinary concrete driveway, pattern stamping is a great way. By using a pattern stamping technique, design a colorful driveway at your home. You can also make it look like tile, brick or cobblestone.
The thing you need to make sure before going for a concrete driveway is the concrete should be of high quality. Also, care should be taken that the surface of the driveway should have a cross fall to help water drain off it. It should also be devoid of any low areas which will prevent water from accumulating.
Maintenance of a Concrete Driveway–
To ensure the long life of your driveways made of concrete, it is important to keep them clean and sealed. You can use a good scrubber to clean the driveway and a concrete sealer to add a layer of protection. Using concrete sealer once a year can offer good protection to your driveway. Stains, if any, must be cleaned immediately upon noticing them.
Pouring sand on the driveway provides traction. Concrete driveways are a practical choice for homes and they can be made to look attractive depending upon an individual’s taste, preference and budget.
Sizes and Materials to Choose–
Concrete should be at least 5 inches thick. Thicker concrete is better for driveways and the cost between 4 inches and 5 inches is not a lot when considering the total cost of the job. Use reinforcing steel. Steel helps to strengthen the concrete and will hold cracked slabs together and is inexpensive.
As cracks can grow in size and two adjacent pieces of the slab can be two different heights, it’s often easy to tell when steel isn’t used. To take advantage of steel’s effectiveness, it needs to be placed less than two inches down from the top of the slab.
How To Preserve Your Driveway?
Most driveways are connected to a lawn. You need to remove the sod within 2 to 3 inches of the cement, as it is a way to prevent grass from growing up through your driveway is. The surface will be drained off by rain and water quite easily.
If they are growing too close to your driveway, Trees, bushes and other plants can cause problems. Causing it to break off and crumble. Moving these plants if they are not too big will solve this problem, roots will grow up through the cement, cracking it.
What To Do in Inclement Weather?
Keep water and rain that runs out of the gutters from running onto your driveway. If water gets under your driveway during the freezing winter months, it can rise and crack your driveway as this is something very important.
When plowing or shoveling your driveway you need to do it carefully. To avoid scraping or cracking the driveway, lift the blade.Do not put salt on the driveway.
Salt can lead to crumbling and cracks on your driveways. It is especially harmful, using salt during the first winter your driveway has been poured. To turn snow and ice into the water without damaging the cement, consider using an ice melter instead.
