Driveway "treatment" query

[Trayderjoe]

Greetings All:

We are considering having our driveway done (overlayment, pavers or painted) and I was wondering about the "back end" of having any of this work done. Specifically, I was curious as to which of the three options you have, and how often you have your driveway treated (if at all). I am not looking for the cost of treatment or the installation cost, just am curious as to how often you have your driveway "treated". I have seen all three options pretty faded out, which I take to mean that the work was not "treated" (re-sealed for example) at some frequency.

Thanks in advance for providing any input!

[vintageogauge]

The pavers are the same color throughout so I don't know why they would fade much after the first few months as sun also penetrates the sealer. We have pavers on ours and were told it should be re-sealed every 12/18 months. Well worth it for the appearance.

[villagetinker]

We have paint (Xylene based) for over 3 years, NO maintenance so far, due for sealing in another 3 years or so. My neighbors have THIN pavers, I have seen him out at least twice a year maintaining the driveway, he has stated he wishes he had never done the thin pavers. I also have neighbors with a concrete overlay, looks GREAT, no idea on maintenance as it is relatively new.

[Trayderjoe]

The pavers are the same color throughout so I don't know why they would fade much after the first few months as sun also penetrates the sealer. We have pavers on ours and were told it should be re-sealed every 12/18 months. Well worth it for the appearance.

Thank you. I have seen pavers in a couple of different driveways, and they had faded pretty badly. In fact, the one homeowner told me that he is having the old pavers removed and replaced. Apparently he hasn't owned the home for too long. Clearly something was being done elsewhere to keep the pavers fresh.

We have paint (Xylene based) for over 3 years, NO maintenance so far, due for sealing in another 3 years or so. My neighbors have THIN pavers, I have seen him out at least twice a year maintaining the driveway, he has stated he wishes he had never done the thin pavers. I also have neighbors with a concrete overlay, looks GREAT, no idea on maintenance as it is relatively new.

Thanks for your response as well! I had heard thin pavers were to be avoided, so I had ruled them out. I noticed a couple of painted driveways where the driveways were blocked off after apparently being resealed.

The concrete overlay does look great, but I was told by one of the installers that they need to be treated every 2-5 years. I was hoping to hear from a few people with the overlayment to see what their experience has been. The rough cost I was given for the "treatment" was around 10% of the original installation. That seemed pretty high, especially if done every two years.

[bob47]

If you have a plain, natural concrete driveway, is it worthwhile to treat it with a clear concrete sealer? We did this up north to minimize damage from road salt.

Down here, would it reduce staining? Slow down buildup of mold? Harden the surface? There are products, for example the ones that block radon, that seep way down into the pores.

[villagetinker]

If you have a plain, natural concrete driveway, is it worthwhile to treat it with a clear concrete sealer? We did this up north to minimize damage from road salt.

Down here, would it reduce staining? Slow down buildup of mold? Harden the surface? There are products, for example the ones that block radon, that seep way down into the pores.

Short answer yes, however, be sure you have "shark grip" or equal added to your coating or you may end up with a very slippery surface when it is wet.
NOTE: most coatings will give the concrete a wet concrete look, in other words, take your driveway, pour water on it, and this is approximately the final color you will get with a clear coating, it may be much darker then when the concrete is dry.

[Packer Fan]

If you have a plain, natural concrete driveway, is it worthwhile to treat it with a clear concrete sealer? We did this up north to minimize damage from road salt.

Down here, would it reduce staining? Slow down buildup of mold? Harden the surface? There are products, for example the ones that block radon, that seep way down into the pores.

Power wash it when you wash you house. That is all you need to do really.

[BoatRatKat]

Trayder Joe, can you share the company and quote you received for concrete coating? We're in the process of looking into this as well and it's not cheap! 10% every few yrs for maintaining it is a lot. You can send me a private email if you'd prefer, I'd like to compare pricing. Thank you.

[Ken L]

We had our driveway “painted”. Ours is in a diamond pattern and consists of 4 colors. We were told to get it sealed every 2-3 years. Just had it sealed last month, the cost is 25 cents/ft2.
My Uncle’s driveway was painted about 18 yrs ago and sealed every 2 yrs. It looks great.
I recommend Aesthetic Concrete Design, 308-7410.
Our’s looks great.

[tom_sjc]

We had our driveway “painted”. Ours is in a diamond pattern and consists of 4 colors. We were told to get it sealed every 2-3 years. Just had it sealed last month, the cost is 25 cents/ft2.
My Uncle’s driveway was painted about 18 yrs ago and sealed every 2 yrs. It looks great.
I recommend Aesthetic Concrete Design, 308-7410.
Our’s looks great.

Do you know how staining from rain water affects your appearance? We have a downspout emptying on the drive and it is staining the drive. Was wondering if putting a treatment on the drive would lessen the impact.

[Ken L]

I’m not sure. Our downspouts don’t discharge onto the driveway. You might ask one of the driveway paint contractors for their opinion.

[vintageogauge]

Thank you. I have seen pavers in a couple of different driveways, and they had faded pretty badly. In fact, the one homeowner told me that he is having the old pavers removed and replaced. Apparently he hasn't owned the home for too long. Clearly something was being done elsewhere to keep the pavers fresh.



Thanks for your response as well! I had heard thin pavers were to be avoided, so I had ruled them out. I noticed a couple of painted driveways where the driveways were blocked off after apparently being resealed.

The concrete overlay does look great, but I was told by one of the installers that they need to be treated every 2-5 years. I was hoping to hear from a few people with the overlayment to see what their experience has been. The rough cost I was given for the "treatment" was around 10% of the original installation. That seemed pretty high, especially if done every two years.

We have friends in Caroline that had pavers installed in 2007. We were over there today and they look just as good as they did 11 years ago. He has them power washed, new sand added, and sealed every two years. You get what you pay for.

[Trayderjoe]

Thanks all for the input!

[l2ridehd]

In checking this out, I have determined all types have issues.

Pavers will crack, fade, and need sand. Figure on replacing 8 to 10 every year and resealing, resanding every couple years.

Concrete overlay can de-laminate after a few years and needs to be removed and replaced at a very high cost. Probably not installed correctly if it happens in less then 5 years, but it will happen to all of them after 10 to 15 years. Also needs sealing every couple years.

Painting/staining seems to be the longer lasting lower maintenance option. Still needs resealing every couple years.

Probably the safest and better solution is to stain it with a concrete colored or off white stain and then seal. Do this every 10 years and it looks good and is low maintenance. Stain available at Sherwin Williams and can be done yourself.

[Trayderjoe]

In checking this out, I have determined all types have issues.

Pavers will crack, fade, and need sand. Figure on replacing 8 to 10 every year and resealing, resanding every couple years.

Concrete overlay can de-laminate after a few years and needs to be removed and replaced at a very high cost. Probably not installed correctly if it happens in less then 5 years, but it will happen to all of them after 10 to 15 years. Also needs sealing every couple years.

Painting/staining seems to be the longer lasting lower maintenance option. Still needs resealing every couple years.

Probably the safest and better solution is to stain it with a concrete colored or off white stain and then seal. Do this every 10 years and it looks good and is low maintenance. Stain available at Sherwin Williams and can be done yourself.

Thank you!

[UpNorth]

In checking this out, I have determined all types have issues.

Pavers will crack, fade, and need sand. Figure on replacing 8 to 10 every year and resealing, resanding every couple years.

Concrete overlay can de-laminate after a few years and needs to be removed and replaced at a very high cost. Probably not installed correctly if it happens in less then 5 years, but it will happen to all of them after 10 to 15 years. Also needs sealing every couple years.

Painting/staining seems to be the longer lasting lower maintenance option. Still needs resealing every couple years.

Probably the safest and better solution is to stain it with a concrete colored or off white stain and then seal. Do this every 10 years and it looks good and is low maintenance. Stain available at Sherwin Williams and can be done yourself.

Concrete stain works great. Cheap, simple and a big improvement over unfinished concrete. Just roll it on like latex paint. Plenty of colors at Home Depot. Pick one that works with your house color. Nothing fancy, just a nice clean-looking driveway and pathway.

[Susan Schonfeld]

We had thin pavers done 3 years ago and no problems at all. You have to make sure the edges are glued down good and your driveway dosen’t have broken pieces like a lot do at the bottom. They don’t fade much - get darker if you want.

[AlleneM]

Can you put concrete stain over a painted drive way?