How to Seal a Concrete Driveway

Sealing a Concrete Driveway

Introduction: It’s a fact of life and Mother Nature, driveways deteriorate. It doesn’t make any difference if your driveway is asphalt, concrete, or if it is made of pavers it will deteriorate and require sealing from time to time. If you don’t seal your driveway it will eventually deteriorate to the point that it will have to be replaced.

Sealing a concrete driveway is quite simple, inexpensive and a fast way to maintain the value of a home. Your driveway is one of the first things people see when they drive up to your home. That is why it is a good idea to keep your concrete driveway looking as good as the day it was installed. Sealing the concrete driveway with a penetrating siloxane concrete sealer (a water repellent) will give it years of protection. Another name for a penetrating sealer is siloxane water repellent.

Why Concrete Driveways Deteriorate:

Water that penetrates and expands from freezing does most of the damage to concrete driveways in northern latitudes. That is because the water expands approximately 10% in volume when it freezes. This expansion will physically break the concrete bonds and cause it to flake, pit and eventually crack. Sealing the concrete reduces the amount of water absorption.

De-icing salt also does damage to the concrete. The salts attack the surface layer of concrete and the steel reinforcement inside the concrete. When de-icing salts are applied the melted water will enter the concrete and then refreeze as the temperature drops. Sealing the concrete with a penetrating siloxane water repellent will reduce water and salt uptake and the number of freeze-thaw cycles the concrete goes through.

Penetrating Concrete Sealers:

Concrete driveways are high traffic areas with cars entering and leaving and kids using them for sport activities. That is why your concrete driveway needs to have a penetrating sealer as opposed to a surface sealer. If a surface sealer is applied to the surface it will wear away quite rapidly from daily use.

A siloxane sealer penetrates below the concrete surface to form a hydrophobic barrier against water and de-icing salt attack. Because the penetrating sealer penetrates below the surface it protects the driveway from wear on the surface of the concrete.

How to Seal a Concrete Driveway:

Ø On new driveways let the concrete cure for approximately 30 days prior to application of a penetrating sealer. Then thoroughly clean the driveway from all debris and dirt.

Ø After the driveway is cured and cleaned apply the sealer either by spraying or painting on with a roller or brush. A roller works best. If you choose to spray the sealer on you can use an ordinary garden sprayer.

Ø The sealer will dry in a few hours but keep the traffic off of it for 24 hours to allow it to cure.

Sealing the driveway will protect it from deteriorating for decades and you don’t have to do it every year. Once every five years is adequate.

Concrete Step Repair

Lightweight Concrete verses Regular Concrete

Mixing Cement

Mixing Concrete and Mortar

Muriatic Acid for Cleaning Masonry

Polishing Concrete Floors

Sealing Concrete

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