Driveway coatings

[BobnBev]

Looking for opinions on the best driveway coatings and the best person/company to do the work. Any ideas are appreciated.

[villagetinker]

I cannot comment on 'best' as we have only used one, but what I will comment on is we prefer PAINT over pavers due to lower maintenance. However, several neighbors have a concrete stone coating that is gorgeous. A lot depends on what you want to pay. I am not commenting on the driveway painter that we used (6 years ago) and were very happy with because he currently is not returning phone calls for resealing. If we get a reply and he completes the work, I will follow up with a recommendation.

[BobnBev]

I cannot comment on 'best' as we have only used one, but what I will comment on is we prefer PAINT over pavers due to lower maintenance. However, several neighbors have a concrete stone coating that is gorgeous. A lot depends on what you want to pay. I am not commenting on the driveway painter that we used (6 years ago) and were very happy with because he currently is not returning phone calls for resealing. If we get a reply and he completes the work, I will follow up with a recommendation.

Thanks, Dave, was it an epoxy paint. You say it lasted 6 years?

[villagetinker]

Thanks, Dave, was it an epoxy paint. You say it lasted 6 years?

No this was a Xylene based paint and it has held up very well. I may end up doing this myself but i believe I must use a Xylene based clear sealer. I need to check on this.

[EdFNJ]

No this was a Xylene based paint and it has held up very well. I may end up doing this myself but i believe I must use a Xylene based clear sealer. I need to check on this. Agreed on Xylene .... while ours is only 3 years old it looks like it was just done yesterday. Be careful though as it CAN be very slippery as I learned last week when washing my car and getting OFF of a 2 step stepladder and the ladder slid out and I fractured my coccyx bone of which nothing can be done other than suffer until it heals (4-12 weeks!). Yes, since our driveway is on a hill we had super xtra anount of "non-slip" stuff put on it and the ladder had heavy rubber feet. The slope and the soap did me in! I literally broke my azz! All caught on my securitycam. Going to send it to failarmy.com! :1rotfl:

[asianthree]

Our preowned has a texture drive. Upkeep is expensive. A simple repair can run $500 and up. Reseal for us is $1400, every 3 years. Original company is now on BBB worst business list. Oh to have just a blank concrete drive, would be my next wish list

[Laker14]

Our preowned has a texture drive. Upkeep is expensive. A simple repair can run $500 and up. Reseal for us is $1400, every 3 years. Original company is now on BBB worst business list. Oh to have just a blank concrete drive, would be my next wish list
This topic, and all of the answers are very interesting to me. We bought pre-owned in February, and our driveway is thin pavers, and in need of some attention.
I am surprised at how much I actually like the look of the pavers, but as has been reported many times, the thin pavers crack.

I am confused about the other types of treatments I see around TV. Some look like paint to me, thin, fading, and maybe even starting to peel. Others look "textured" and shiny, and nice. Some of them look slippery to me, but when I test them with my feet, even with a little water from the irrigation system on them, they really aren't slippery.
Asianthree, do you know the material of your textured drive?

[Stu from NYC]

We recently used Reseal Experts and were very happy with their work.

[Laker14]

Stu, what type of driveway surface do you have?

[l2ridehd]

We used the same folks Tinker used and they don’t return calls or follow up on issues. I think it is a stain, not a paint. It started to sprinkle as they were finishing mine so it left spots on the outside border. They promised to return in a couple days and redo that edge. Never came back, never returned calls, and will never get recommended by me. Father and son team.

[44Apple]

We went then opposite way, had ours power washed and it looks good with its neutral color after being seriously discolored.

[Stu from NYC]

Stu, what type of driveway surface do you have?

Concrete. We were not home when they applied the sealer so not sure what was used.

[rustyp]

We recently used Reseal Experts and were very happy with their work.

Did you get a good deal ?

:icon_wink:

[PoolBrews]

Can you post the name of the business? Not for a recommendation, but so I know NOT to accidently have them do my driveway?

[Sugar952]

We used concrete texture and design, we love the way our driveway and lanai came out with the design we had put on it , after we had ours done several of my neighbors used them and a lot of our friends also , they do have a waiting list of several months as they book up fast , their number is 352-636-0274 ( Brandy ) leave her a message and she will return your call , both her and her husband are hard workers and are the sweetest young couple , good luck

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

I’ve had a lot of beautiful homes and I never did anything to the driveway or for that matter the garage floor, no one ever came to my home and said oh you have a beautiful home and the landscaping is gorgeous but Oh My God !! you didn’t paint the driveway or garage floor , complete waste of time and money and as I’ve said before I’m the King of wasting money

[Laker14]

Concrete. We were not home when they applied the sealer so not sure what was used.

So you had a sealer applied over the concrete? The concrete has no other surface on it?

If so, is that a common treatment to have over concrete? Is it necessary to protect the concrete from functional deterioration, or is it a way to keep it looking nicer and protect against stains?

[Laker14]

I’ve had a lot of beautiful homes and I never did anything to the driveway or for that matter the garage floor, no one ever came to my home and said oh you have a beautiful home and the landscaping is gorgeous but Oh My God !! you didn’t paint the driveway or garage floor , complete waste of time and money and as I’ve said before I’m the King of wasting money

Yeah, if I didn't have mine already covered with thin pavers I might go that route as well, although, I have to admit, while I wouldn't criticize anyone for keeping the natural concrete, I do like the look of most (but not all) treatments.

Since I already have the thin pavers, and I do like the look, I'll probably stay with them, and count on having to have (or perform, myself) some maintenance. Seems like all driveways need at least some maintenance.

[villagetinker]

We used the same folks Tinker used and they don’t return calls or follow up on issues. I think it is a stain, not a paint. It started to sprinkle as they were finishing mine so it left spots on the outside border. They promised to return in a couple days and redo that edge. Never came back, never returned calls, and will never get recommended by me. Father and son team.

Called again today, go 2 return calls, we cannot get together until later in the week, medical concerns on both parties, so I will update later this week or early next week.

[RedChariot]

I cannot comment on 'best' as we have only used one, but what I will comment on is we prefer PAINT over pavers due to lower maintenance. However, several neighbors have a concrete stone coating that is gorgeous. A lot depends on what you want to pay. I am not commenting on the driveway painter that we used (6 years ago) and were very happy with because he currently is not returning phone calls for resealing. If we get a reply and he completes the work, I will follow up with a recommendation.

Do you know who did the concrete stone coating? What does it look like?
TIA

[Stu from NYC]

So you had a sealer applied over the concrete? The concrete has no other surface on it?

If so, is that a common treatment to have over concrete? Is it necessary to protect the concrete from functional deterioration, or is it a way to keep it looking nicer and protect against stains?

As far as I know the sealer goes over the concrete. Before applying the sealer he power washed the driveway.

For your second paragraph believe it protect the decoration against stains and wear.

[Velvet]

We have a river rock driveway. It came with the house. I absolutely love it! Beautiful natural texture. Never slippery even under heavy rain. But now it needs pressure washing and resealing hubby would like to do it himself and would like recommendations on how to do it. (I’m thinking of installing river rock up north too.)

[Laker14]

As far as I know the sealer goes over the concrete. Before applying the sealer he power washed the driveway.

For your second paragraph believe it protect the decoration against stains and wear.

Ah...I was confused. When you said it was concrete I interpreted that to mean that it was untreated concrete. So it is painted? Epoxy? Something else?

[asianthree]

This topic, and all of the answers are very interesting to me. We bought pre-owned in February, and our driveway is thin pavers, and in need of some attention.
I am surprised at how much I actually like the look of the pavers, but as has been reported many times, the thin pavers crack.

I am confused about the other types of treatments I see around TV. Some look like paint to me, thin, fading, and maybe even starting to peel. Others look "textured" and shiny, and nice. Some of them look slippery to me, but when I test them with my feet, even with a little water from the irrigation system on them, they really aren't slippery.
Asianthree, do you know the material of your textured drive?

Aristocrite was the original company. Every time they did something it was $500 to $700, and still need more repairs. Ours looks like pavers, but is a textured non slip coating. Very thin, so if it breaks off its thinner that the pavers. We hired King Crete to reseal, did the best job so far. $1100, should last 4-5 years. We are year 2 still looks new. We do have a 3 car drive way, we can fit 6 cars easily

[Stu from NYC]

Ah...I was confused. When you said it was concrete I interpreted that to mean that it was untreated concrete. So it is painted? Epoxy? Something else?

There is a design but no idea what material was used to do it as we bought a resale.