Protecting Concrete Driveways from Winter Road Salt Using Concrete Sealers

One of the most important exterior features at your home is the concrete driveway. It provides you a hard surface to enter your property on with your vehicle while preventing erosion of the ground under it. You need to understand how to take care of this driveway properly in order to keep it in ideal condition for it to last as long as possible. While various weather conditions can affect driveways made from concrete, winter weather is especially damaging to them if you are not careful due to the salt that is used on the roads to melt or prevent ice patches. Luckily, all you need to do to protect your concrete driveway effectively is to apply sealer to it. The sealer safeguards the surface of your driveway from the damaging road salt.

What Type of Sealer is Suitable for Concrete Driveways?

For a concrete driveway, you must apply a sealer that has good UV stability, has effective water resistance, can reduce efflorescence, is suitable for exterior application and contains low tyre marking capabilities. An example of a sealer that fits all these parameters is the EC25 one that our company of Auseal manufactures.

How to Prepare the Driveway Prior to Applying the Sealer

While there are sealers that can be applied by professionals at the time the concrete is poured, most require that the concrete cure or dry for at least 28 days before you can apply them. Also, you will need to clean the driveway thoroughly to ensure that it is free of contaminants, such as dirt, dust, grease and oil. To accomplish this, scrub the driveway with a degreasing solution and rinse with plenty of clean water. In the event that the concrete is not profiled, you also need to acid etch it before the sealer will apply correctly. You do this by using a solution of one part hydrochloric acid and 10 parts water. Broom this solution onto the concrete and leave it for about 10 minutes without it drying. Hose off with plenty of fresh water and repeat if necessary, to receive the desired results.

The Application Process of the Sealer

If your sealer is a tinted one, be certain to mix the suspended pigment in completely to ensure a uniform colour result. With the EC25 the first coat should be thinned by adding 10 to 20 percent of Xylene to guarantee proper penetration and adhesion. Spread the thinned sealer evenly with a spray gun, roller or broom. Allow it to dry thoroughly before applying a second full-strength coat. Follow directions for other sealers if the EC25 is not your choice.

Once the sealer is dry, the winter road salt will wash off easily without damaging your concrete driveway. For further information about this topic and all of our sealers, browse through our website or contact us.

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