Originally Posted by vintageogauge (Post 1550588)

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.

Originally Posted by villagetinker (Post 1550618)

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.

Originally Posted by bob47 (Post 1550641)

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.

Originally Posted by bob47 (Post 1550641)

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.

Originally Posted by Ken L (Post 1551478)

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.

Originally Posted by Trayderjoe (Post 1550631)

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.

Originally Posted by l2ridehd (Post 1551962)

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.