Driveway (Coating or Staining)
 

Does anybody have experience either coating or staining driveways. The drive is large (2 car plus golf cart) and about 45' long or about 850 sq. feet so pavers are too costly for me.

I have seen some coatings that actually have a texture. On the web I found a product called Stardek that looks very interesting but I can't tell if it is a product you can do youself. I would like a paver look with a compass rose. I think this woulb be a good product for a lanai too.

Other products are either paint (probably epoxy) or stains. I have no experience with stains or painting concrete either. Need some advice.

Tom

What's wrong with a concrete driveway? Don't know why a concrete drive would need any type of coating. Please explain.

It's an artsy fartsy thing. If anything it makes maintenance more trouble but looks good. You can make all kinds of designs. From paver look to painted designs.

I think there are a couple other threads if you do a search.

I've used epoxy paint and have been disappointed over the long term.

My understanding is the concrete stain penetrates, and when sealed, lasts longer and better. That's where I'd go if pavers were not the answer.
Let us know what you do and how it turns out - especially a few months later.

I made a post to this thread yesterday and now it is gone. Still shows I am subcribed to it. Things that make you go huuuummmmmmmm!!!

There is a house off St. Charles that had a nice looking job done on Driveway and Entry. Looks like alot of texture to it. On Dove Hollow right off St. CHarles. need to find out who did that job..

I could very well have removed the post. I think it was about recommending a contractor to do the job.

This section of the forum is strictly for Do-It-Yourself posts. We don't want it to turn into another Contractor's and Services section.

GMoney, I saw your link before it was removed - thanks (I'm sure you used it strictly for example but understand why it was removed). Anyway, it showed a fantastic looking driveway I have to admit. I'm all for safety and those coatings would appear to lessen the coefficient of friction in parent concrete and as much as it rains in Fl wouldn't chances for slipping increase?

Plus when one of my junker cars leaks oil onto someone's new fancy driveway coating, I would feel terrible. My car fits right in at the Wal Mart parking lot:a040:

You know, those folks that perform that fancy driveway stuff are providing employment to people that are paying taxes so I'm changing my mind quickly. Wonder how much something like that fake brick driveway costs?

I agree. After researching the web I am leaning towards Concrete stain. One DIY progect in particular got my attention. They had boarders and a compass rose. They had used several different colors. When they changed color they had made a shallow cut ( 1/4" deep) in the concrete with a Concrete saw blade to define the color change. They had drawn the layout on the concrete with chalk then saw cut all the lines. Then the areas were stained, it was like coloring inbetween the lines as though the driveway were a coloring book page. I was hoping to find some one in TV that had done that.

Didnt even think about that, Good catch Admin.. I do agree with you,

Has anyone done stamping on their drive???

If you are going to do anything stain it. There are so many different colors you can choose. But if you stain it make sure you do a faux finish. It will definitely turn heads and its cheaper. You will be very pleased.

we are in the process of having a very bad paint job grinded off and a new stain with a border design done. It takes a week and should be done today by Amy Newsome. She rocks!

The paint was appiled by a fly by nighter for the previous owner.It didn't take long before it began to peel. We bought the house knowing it had to be redone and now that is the last "project" before we move down in 16 days!

NO to cheap paint jobs and YES to stain & seal. Pavers? Everybody I have talked said they look good but can break or come loose.

JMHO

We have stamping on the roadway in the community where we live now in Miami. It gets slippery, chips, and looks fake --maybe there is a newer way to do it than what we have tho.

Agree with you about pavers. We bought a house with them. Recently had to replace many of the cracked and broken bricks. If we were starting from scratch, we wouldn't do it, although they do look very nice.

[QUOTE If you are going to do anything stain it. There are so many different colors you can choose. But if you stain it make sure you do a faux finish. It will definitely turn heads and its cheaper. You will be very pleased.[/QUOTE]

Make sure you do a faux finish? So, what does that mean?

The Villages practice of retro fitting "pavers" over concrete for a driveway is just asking for trouble. Pavers should be laid on top of a thick bed of sand or "truepack". They can then settle, flex, isolate themselves from adjoining bricks and drain as a real paver roadway is designed to do. The Villages retrofit is nothing but a veneer brick, not a true driveway paver which is at least 4" thick. They are too thin for the weight placed on them, the too thin layer of sand washes away because water can't drain down, they mold because of poor water drainage, chip because of rubbing against each other because sand isolation is washed away ,etc,etc.
If you want to see how a real paver driveway should look and function drive though our neighbors at Harbor Hills where many of the homes have real paver drives that were properly built as paver drives, with proper sized and hardened bricks, laid on a proper bedding.
My concrete drives over the years seem to work out very well in all weather, year after year, without any maintenance except an ocassional sweeping for grass clippings. Pavers and painting may look nice, but why seek out additional extensive maintenance and headaches. Just drive through some of the 10 year old Villages neighborhoods to see what happens to some of the quick fix different driveway decorating methods after the Florida weather does its thing to them.