The concrete driveway usually has a long lifespan. But, it is only possible if you take care of your driveway and do well-maintenance. If you don’t take care of your driveway, then it may lead to cracks, fading of color, and settlement.
Sometimes, improper paving and adverse weather condition also result in the short lifespan of your concrete driveway. You can fix these problems in your concrete driveway and every time you do not have to repave the entire driveway.
There are different repairing options and you can save money by doing these repairs. First of all, it’s very important to figure out the main reason for the damage and after that try to find out the best method for repairing your driveway.
It is very important to find the best technique before starting the repair project so that your efforts do not go in vain. For instance, if your driveway is structural sound only the color of your driveway has faded out, then you can choose the color enhancement technique rather than replacing the entire driveway.
1. Resurfacing Your Driveway
If your driveway is facing cracks and scaling, then the best way to protect it is resurfacing the driveway. This technique will not just help in improving the condition of the driveway by covering the existing flaws, but also improve the aesthetics. After resurfacing, your driveway will get a good visual appeal.
Moreover, you can change the color of your concrete driveway and its pattern as well. Before start the repairing process, you should remove the damaged portion and also repair the visible cracks. In simple, you should make a strong foundation before overlaying it with a new concrete layer.
2. Engraving The Concrete Driveway
If you observe minor cracks on your driveway or fading of color, then you can get rid of these problems with the help of the engraving technique. In this method, you can engrave a pattern inside the surface.
Based on the pattern, the flaws in your concrete driveway will contribute to the new appearance. While applying the engraving technique, the concrete driveway should be stained and after that, the special machine is utilized. This machine helps in cutting the pattern into the surface to form the faux grout lines over the concrete driveway.
With the engraving process, you will not just fix the problems in your driveway but also improve its visual appeal. For engraving your concrete driveway, you can take the help of good concrete paving service providers such as concrete driveway Sydney.
3. Slabjacking
If you observe sinking spots in your concrete driveway, then it is mainly due to a bad compaction process. The perfect solution to this problem is slab jacking. This technique will help you to raise the slab back to the normal position.
In the Slabjacking process, the required material such as mixtures of sand cement and fly ash is pumped beneath the slab. This way you can raise the sunken spots to the normal position.
4. Recoloring
There are different types of coloring methods for concrete driveways such as concrete stains, color hardeners, integral pigments, etc. Usually, the color on the concrete driveway is supposed to last for many years but if you do not take care of your driveway, then it results in color fading.
There are various causes of discoloration such as UV rays exposure, improper color application, adverse winter season, and harsh chemical on the driveway. Mostly, the faded color of your concrete driveway can be revived.
For making your driveway color more appealing, you should apply a new coat of acid. While recoloring your driveway, you should also use UV-resistant products along with your color. Also, apply good sealer on your newly colored driveway so that you can maintain its luster for a long time.
5. Replace Entire Driveway
This should be the last option when you can not implement any other techniques that are mentioned above. If the foundation of a concrete driveway is not strong enough, then replacing your old driveway with the new one is the last option.
In various situations like frost heave can result in forcing out the concrete driveway. This is a difficult and time-consuming process. Moreover, it is costly as compared to other methods. Therefore, this option should be considered the last way.