Concrete is a durable and low maintenance paving product that can withstand heavy daily use which is why it is so widely used in both residential and commercial projects.
But even concrete needs some regular loving care and maintenance so that it continues to look fresh, clean, and give you a low maintenance paving surface that looks beautiful for many years to come.
We’ve installed over two million square metres of concrete since we began over 35 years ago, in residential homes and large commercial projects. Many of our projects look as good today as they did when they were originally installed.
Here are 5 tips to maintain and look after your concrete.
1. Reseal your concrete every couple of years
Many of our customers ask us if they need to reseal their concrete regularly. This is entirely a personal choice, but we recommend a reseal every couple of years. It makes the concrete easier to maintain and keep clean, and it also protects the concrete from general wear and tear and staining.
Panorama Concrete can reseal your paving for you or if you’re comfortable with DIY, you can buy the sealer from us and do it yourself. We’ll provide instructions and advice for a good result. Applying a concrete sealer makes the driveway easier to sweep, keeps the concrete looking as new, highlights the stone and pebble hues, and reduces wear and tear.
2. Clean and sweep your concrete regularly
Cleaning and sweeping your concrete regularly prevents a build-up of leaves, debris, dirt, moss or algae which can cause permanent marks or discolouration of the concrete.
If you have overhanging branches or plants over your concrete, prune them back to let some more sunlight in which will minimise moss and algae from settling in.
3. Remove stains immediately
Concrete can still be a little porous even after using a sealer, and especially if you don’t have a sealer. It’s important to clean up stains immediately otherwise they can become permanent. Most stains such as oil, grease and petrol can be removed with some heavier household powdered detergent (laundry powder will often work) or a degreaser may be needed.
At Panorama Concrete, we offer a full cleaning service for concrete which includes a thorough high pressure clean and an acid wash if necessary.
Panorama Concrete’s Other Services
4. Be aware of use and weight
We install 25MPA strength for residential concrete driveways which is ideal for boats, trailers, caravans, delivery vans and lighter two-axle trucks. Your concrete will be able to withstand this weight over time.
However, if heavier commercial vehicles will be using the driveway, a higher standard of steel mesh and concrete that is stronger than 25MPA is needed, such as 32MPA. Even if you don’t need it immediately, you may want to plan for the future.
Planning For A Concrete Driveway? Think About Current And Future Use
5. Take care with planter pots
Although sealer will mostly protect your concrete, over time it breaks down which is why we recommend a reseal every few years. In the meantime, pot plants are one of the most common reasons for concrete stains. As the sealer breaks down through natural wear and tear, the water seeps through the pot and into the concrete, leaving a permanent stain. We always recommend placing a dish or something else underneath your pot plant to prevent this from happening.
Before you install your concrete, consider these ideas
Choose the right style for today but also plan for the future
You may need the concrete for a driveway today, but what if you’d like to use it as an outdoor entertaining area in the future? These are functional and lifestyle questions to consider when deciding on the concrete style you choose.
Thinking about your future needs will avoid unnecessary additional costs and hassles down the track. It can be a few simple decisions such as installing concrete that is smoother so that you can place tables and chairs on it. Or do you plan to buy a caravan and boat which may need a heavier grade concrete?
Read our article about things to consider before you make a final decision on your concrete driveway.
Planning For A Concrete Driveway? Think About Current And Future Use
Do you prefer low maintenance home improvement?
Concrete is generally a low maintenance paving style. There are no weeds to remove between the pavers therefore you’ll won’t be adding more strain to your back and knees. There is no subsidence or movement that you can get with individual paver blocks, and you can pretty much put concrete anywhere that is difficult with other mediums, for example steep driveways and sloping blocks.
You can take low maintenance one more step by choosing a smoother finish, making sweeping and cleaning easier, such as our milled-finish aggregate or integral colour concrete.
Find out more: Low-Maintenance Driveway Ideas For Adelaide Homes
What about cracks in the concrete – can you avoid them?
Cracks can occur in concrete. We adhere to and often exceed Australian standards (Building Code for Australia) in the concrete mixes we use, with the number of joints we install and the standard of steel reinforcing in our concrete paving. However even with the stringent standards we set for ourselves, there are environmental factors that cannot be predicted, and cracks can occur. It is best to leave hairline cracks in concrete paving alone. With steel reinforcing installed in the paving, the crack should not become larger over time.
Visit Adelaide’s only concrete display centre
Panorama Concrete has the only concrete display centre in Adelaide where you can view a range of stamped concrete, exposed aggregate concrete, patterned concrete and coloured styles. Visit our showroom at 1 Maple Avenue, Forestville, on weekdays between 8.30am-5.30pm, or call us on 8297 9611 for a no obligation discussion about your concrete project.