Driveway Maintenance Melbourne

Is your concrete driveway looking tired, old, and out of date? Restore your concrete so it looks brand new (minus the price that comes with a new driveway) with Concept Concrete.

Driveways are important gateways to homes and businesses, but they take a beating when they are used regularly. After all, not only are they driven across repeatedly by vehicles weighing literal tonnes, but they are also subjected to the elements and the swings in Melbourne’s weather patterns. With that in mind, it’s important to keep an eye on your driveway with proper maintenance and care all year round.

But that doesn’t mean you need to spend tons of time (or money) keeping up with your driveway. For one, driveways tend to be low maintenance home features that add value to your equity once installed properly. There’s also Concept Concrete just around the corner available to help you with all of your driveway maintenance needs.

If you think that your drive might need some attention, call our expert team on 1300 366 343 to take a look. We can provide fast, free quotes for any maintenance service you need and address any issue before it becomes bigger.

What does driveway maintenance include?

Concrete driveways are amazing because they are designed to be close to maintenance free when installed properly. However, they’re going to need a little attention throughout their decades and decades of use.

If you start seeing cracks in your concrete surfaces, that could be a sign that moisture is making it into the material. But other things can cause cracking including expansion from extremes in heat and cold. Regardless of the cause, it’s important to have any cracks examined and filled, usually with a patching and sealing compound specially mixed for the job. Tiny cracks can be filled with self-leveling sealants. In either case, you should leave the touch up job to the pros rather than relying on home improvement store solutions that might not be the right match for your issue.

Potholes are also another area of driveway maintenance that require fast attention. They can result from weak spots in the concrete or from high impact, often with vehicles that are overly heavy for the surface they are on (such as construction trucks). For these, any loose particles or pieces of concrete should be removed before the hole is filled with a similar concrete mix. Again, going with the pros for this can help you ensure a closer match to your colour, even accounting for fade from weather and time.

Concept Concrete Tip: Avoid walking on plain or coloured concrete driveways for up to 36 hours after maintenance. For exposed aggregate concrete, avoid contact until sealing is complete.

How to prevent driveway damage in the first place

The best kind of maintenance is the kind that prevents issues from cropping up to start with. And with a little attention, you can be sure to limit the need for broader repair services in the future. Here are just a few ways you can prevent damage to your concrete driveway.

#1 – Seal occasionally

Sealing should be done every 2-3 years to protect your concrete. Keeping concrete sealed can help protect it from the elements and anything that is spilled on it inadvertently. There are several kinds of sealers, each of which has a different benefit depending on your needs. And all of them should be applied by a professional installer as part of a maintenance package.

• Penetrating: Designed to block out water, oil, and other liquids that stains
• Epoxy: Formulated to keep moisture out of the concrete
• Acrylic: Crafted to enhance the durability of the concrete

#2 – Clean regularly

Dirt and debris can also build up overtime, leaving discolouration that can be hard to remove later on. One way to combat this is with regular cleaning. Fortnightly sweeping should be the foundation of your maintenance approach. From there, just rinse the driveway with a regular garden hose to wash away leaves, grime, and other plant mater that might stain. Look especially where these can build up in corners and along edges or seams.

For more stubborn stains, you can break out the power washer every two months. Keep in mind that you will not want to use more than 300psi of pressure, or you could damage the surface of the concrete. Hold the nozzle at least 30cm away from the surface of the driveway and use a smooth, steady motion as you move over the concrete.

#3 – Avoid chemicals

And we’re not just talking about harsh cleaners, which you shouldn’t need to remove stains (see above regarding pressure washing). You should also refrain from using chemical deicers or salts that can penetrate the surface of the concrete and cause cracking.

#4 – Double check drainage

Your driveway might be sloped and graded correctly for run off, but is the ground surrounding it also pointing run off in the same direction? If not, you could have standing water in places on or around your driveway that can cause cracks, potholes, and sinking over time. Double, even triple, check your drainage such as roof plumbing and even irrigation to make sure that your driveway’s concrete is not compromised.

Can you do driveway maintenance yourself?

When it comes to making repairs or trying to work with concrete itself, that’s always best left to the professionals. This also applies to installing sealants that will protect the surface of the driveway. That said, you can choose to outsource or take on the remaining preventative measures yourself whenever you have the time. The key is that it happens, and happens regularly.

Maintain your driveway with the pros at Concept Concrete

Concept Concrete takes pride in installing driveways that are as maintenance free as possible. But we also know that with a bit of upkeep, your driveway can last even longer than you could imagine. That’s why we provide driveway maintenance in Melbourne for homeowners and business owners alike.

The last thing we want is for your driveway to be a hassle of any kind. So we offer hassle-free, fast turnaround on every project, keeping you in the loop every step of the way. And our projects include up to 78-month warranties on structure. If you need driveway maintenance, don’t hesitate to call us on 1300 366 343 or request a quote online.

Frequently Asked Questions About Driveway Maintenance In Melbourne

Just how much weight can a driveway hold?

Even with wire mesh or steel reinforcements, a residential concrete driveway isn’t designed to hold massive amounts of weight for long periods of time. Granted, your regular vehicles are perfectly fine. It’s oversized construction trucks that are usually the culprits of weight-induced concrete damage. Consider that your car is weighs about 1 tonne, but construction trucks used during home or backyard renovations can weight 8-9 times more. With this in mind, if you have renovations done on your home, have the contractors keep their vehicles curbside. You’ll also want to avoid parking within 300mm of your concrete driveway edge to minimise the risk of cracking.

Should my lawn run right up to the edge of my concrete driveway?

Actually, avoiding this is preferrable. Keeping grass, weeds, and dirt clear of your driveway’s edges can actually help to maintain the integrity of the concrete longer since moisture and grime are less likely to start seeping in from the sides.

What concrete driveway after-care should I know about?

It’s tempting to think your concrete surface is ready for use after maintenance is complete – but there are a few after-care tips you’ll need to take into account. A minimum of 7 days is required for any vehicle traffic in summer (1o days in winter) with a 28-day waiting period for heavy vehicles.