Being the owner of a driveway isn’t easy. Especially since there are a number of problems you have to deal with when it comes to keeping it in tip top shape. One of these are driveway stains that can heavily affect the longevity and quality of your driveway. So how exactly can you prevent and deal with these driveway stains?
How You Can Keep Your Driveway Stain Free
When you have a driveway that you’ve worked on and you’re proud of, having a stain on it can feel a bit disappointing. Although having a stain on your driveway is sometimes inevitable, there are things you can do to help maintain your driveway’s stain-free look. It isn’t actually hard to maintain a driveway; you just have to be patient and follow the tips we’ll give you below.
Use a Power Washer
One of the best ways to maintain your driveway is to use a power washer to clean off liquids, stains, and whatnot. Using a power washer is somewhat similar to using a pressure washer; just press the button (you can choose whether to use the highest, mid, or lowest setting, but we recommend the medium setting for most cleaning) and wash away.
Using a power washer for your driveway is one of the simplest and most efficient ways to maintain your driveway’s stain-free look.
Don’t Let Staining Chemicals Sit Too Long on Your Driveway
There are certain chemicals and oils that stain when they sit too long on the surface. So, when a chemical or oil spills on your driveway, make sure that you immediately wash it off using your power washer.
If the driveway does get some discoloration, you can simply use your power washer and a detergent-solvent cleaner mix to wash away the stain.
Use a Solvent Cleaner
To clean off your driveway much more efficiently, you can use a detergent and solvent cleaner for better cleaning. This will help get rid of all the stains on your driveway without too much effort. Just make sure that all of the detergent and solvent cleaner are mixed thoroughly for it to work effectively.
Use a Sealer
Using a driveway sealer is one of the best ways to keep your driveway stain-free. A sealer is a coat that prevents chemicals, oils, grease, and whatnot from seeping into the crevices of the driveway and causing staining. Just make sure that you also maintain your sealed coat to ensure that its effectiveness lasts.
Avoid Deicing Chemicals
By forcing the thawing and refreezing of liquid, using deicers on your concrete driveway during the wintertime can result in fractures in the surfaces, particularly scaling and spalling. The first winter after installing a driveway, refrain from using any deicers because new concrete is more vulnerable to the damaging effects of salt. Use sand as an alternative for traction.
Maintain and Treat Your Driveway with Care
Lastly, to ensure that your driveway stays stain-free, you will have to continuously maintain and treat your driveway with care.
Don’t forget to also treat your driveway with care when it comes to plowing or shoveling. Avoid using metals and scraping them on the surface, as it can scratch your driveway.
Bottomline
Stains are sometimes inevitable, especially due to certain circumstances that are unavoidable. However, by maintaining and treating your driveway with a lot more care, it will most probably stay looking as good as new by following the tips we’ve provided you.