How To Seal Your Concrete Driveway Yourself

Preparing an existing concrete driveway for a sealer is vitally important.

How to seal your concrete driveway yourself.

Since you do not want to redo your driveway every few years it makes sense to use a durable material such as concrete to pave your driveway. A squeegee will help pull the sealer to the edges. In general picking a sealer to use on a concrete driveway is a balance of aesthetics and performance along with what you are willing to pay to get that performance. Your driveway can be a bit inconspicuous at times but it provides a much needed finishing touch to your house.

Pour about two gallons of sealer on to the driveway. It is best to wash the surface with a pressure washer and a high quality concrete cleaner. The temperature also needs to stay above 50 f during application and drying time up to three days. Work in small areas so it won t dry out before you get it spread.

Aggressive marketing by the companies selling sealing products may be the reason behind the common belief that a sealer must be applied each and every year but even skeptics agree that periodic sealing will help prolong the life of. Coverage should be as thin as possible. Let the driveway cure for 21 to 30 days before applying a penetrating sealer. If your concrete is new you ll need to let it cure wait at least one month before applying sealer.

The next step is to clean the driveway using a broom to remove loose debris such as dirt mud and leaves. Keep in mind that choosing the right sealer and applying it properly will extend the life of your concrete and keep it looking great for years to come so you should buy the best product you can afford. Cure and clean the concrete. Before applying check the weather.

After the concrete for your driveway is installed you have to wait for it to cure before applying a sealer. There is considerable debate about if it is necessary to apply a sealer to concrete driveways and other concrete surfaces and if so how often it should be done. Don t walk on your new surface for several hours and let it dry overnight before driving on it. Sealer needs to be applied in dry conditions because it won t adhere to damp concrete.