Seal your driveway?

[cjh-ohio]

Do you know if you need to seal your driveway? I've live here 5 years, I don't know if you need to or not. Any suggestions?

[Mleeja]

Do you know if you need to seal your driveway? I've live here 5 years, I don't know if you need to or not. Any suggestions?

We have our driveway painted/stained. We seal it every year.

[villagetinker]

It depends on the finish, bare concrete, NO you do not have to seal, any other finish you need to contact the installer about sealing. Ours is stained (concrete paint), and about 2 years ago , after the original installation 7 years ago, the installer stated they NO longer recommend sealing.

[Woodbear]

I sealed my driveway with Diamond Clear (Diamond Clear - Euclid Chemical (https://www.euclidchemical.com/products/construction-products/curing-sealing-compounds/solvent-based-acrylic/diamond-clear/)). It is a solvent based sealer. I am not sure if I needed to coat the concrete, but it sure helps being sealed when an oil dripping car parks in your driveway unexpectedly.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Had to clean mold off my driveway every year
three years ago I put this on it.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07V9P3TCW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Haven't had to clean it since.
took 5 gallons

[Michael G.]

I'm on the fence about sealing my driveway.

I had a new driveway poured 3 years ago, waiting 1 year and had it painted with a sealer.
That was 2 years ago and it still looks good.
The only thing about it is it's slippery when wet.
If I seal it again, I will add some grit to the sealer.

[villagetinker]

I'm on the fence about sealing my driveway.

I had a new driveway poured 3 years ago, waiting 1 year and had it painted with a sealer.
That was 2 years ago and it still looks good.
The only thing about it is it's slippery when wet.
If I seal it again, I will add some grit to the sealer.

Yes, you absolutely need to add shark grip or equal, now one word of caution, not all sealers are compatible with all of the possible coatings. So when you get ready to do this make sure your sealer is compatible and do a test in an inconspicuous area. The reason our installer has stopped sealing THEIR driveways is because of possible clouding or hazing of the sealer.

[Michael G.]

no one word of caution, not all sealers are compatible with all of the possible coatings.

Good to know

[RICH1]

I used silica sand as an “ anti slip”. It will also be slightly reflective… remember it’s just a driveway..

[La lamy]

Question regarding this topic: are you able to power wash your driveway without harming the finish? My stained driveway hasn't held well to power wash, which makes me wonder what I should do with it now.

[bark4me]

If you power wash need to make sure you don't use high pressure and that you're gentle doing it.

[MandoMan]

It depends on the finish, bare concrete, NO you do not have to seal, any other finish you need to contact the installer about sealing. Ours is stained (concrete paint), and about 2 years ago , after the original installation 7 years ago, the installer stated they NO longer recommend sealing.

I agree. Also, back around ten years ago, when I had a blacktop driveway installed in Pennsylvania, I was told to not seal it because it sealed in moisture that would otherwise evaporate from the surface and could then freeze and thaw and break up the driveway.

[villagetinker]

Question regarding this topic: are you able to power wash your driveway without harming the finish? My stained driveway hasn't held well to power wash, which makes me wonder what I should do with it now.

If the original finish was actually a product made for coating (staining) concrete, power washing should not cause the finish to breakdown. I have seen cases where someone would use house exterior paint for the driveway with resulting failure a few years later. The result being that the old finish needs to be completely removed by grinding or sandblasting, and a new finish applied. All of our driveway, lanai and birdcage finishes have been power washed several times (1700 psi or less) with no damage to the finish. These are 2 to 9 year old finishes and all look good as new.

[bigjohnny19]

We had our driveway painted two years ago. The company that did it recommended sealing in two years. The company that pressure washes our house also does driveway sealing; they say every three years is good enough.

[La lamy]

If the original finish was actually a product made for coating (staining) concrete, power washing should not cause the finish to breakdown. I have seen cases where someone would use house exterior paint for the driveway with resulting failure a few years later. The result being that the old finish needs to be completely removed by grinding or sandblasting, and a new finish applied. All of our driveway, lanai and birdcage finishes have been power washed several times (1700 psi or less) with no damage to the finish. These are 2 to 9 year old finishes and all look good as new.
Thanks Tinker, I reckon I'm going to have to blast the stain off and start over.