Room Elegance

Interior Design and Home Improvement Ideas

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Posts A – Z

You are here: Home / Home Improvement Ideas / Garage and Driveway / 5 Concrete Driveway Questions And Answers

5 Concrete Driveway Questions And Answers

Article by Henry Finch Leave a Comment

5 Concrete Driveway Questions And Answers 1

A newly laid concrete surface of a driveway in Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA – Photo Courtesy: Andy Franklin

Concrete has been the material of choice on people’s driveways for many years now. It is a durable and easy to use option that does not cost the earth.

This article looks at some common concerns about the aftercare of the concrete driveway and attempts to answer them for you.

 

1. How Do I Clear Ice From My Concrete Driveway?

 

Winter brings some nasty weather and ice can really make your driveway a hazardous place to deal with when walking to and from your vehicle. Snow is also a culprit and can easily hide a thick layer of ice; this makes driving very difficult traction-wise.

 

5 Concrete Driveway Questions And Answers 2
A ‘victorious’ Stacey celebrating after cleaning her Washington, DC home driveway. (Especially so as she is from a warm town Clint in Texas) – Photo Courtesy: Stacey Huggins

 

It is best to remove the ice before it gets a hold of your driveway; simply use a spade and a little elbow grease to shift even the most stubborn ice patches. You can also use some rock salt for the more hard to shift ice – remember to tidy this up afterwards as it can make a mess of your vehicle’s paintwork.

 

2. How Do I Repair Chips And Cracks in My Concrete Driveway?

 

5 Concrete Driveway Questions And Answers 3
A thankful seedling growing happily in a driveway crack in Los Angeles, California. Photo Courtesy: Ray Smith

 

As well as looking fairly unpleasant, a cracked concrete driveway can present a nasty safety issue. These can be repaired quite easily by using a repair patch kit. Use a chisel to make the crack wide enough to allow for a sound repair. Clean the cracked area and use a concrete gravel mix to fill the damaged area. Pack the mix into the hole and smooth the top with a trowel. Do not drive on this area for at least four days.

 

3. How Do I Drain My Concrete Driveway?

 

5 Concrete Driveway Questions And Answers 4
A neatly installed driveway drain and cover – Photo Courtesy: Armcon Precast

 

When it is rainy, your concrete driveway will often be host for annoying little puddles of water. These can damage the foundations of the driveway and also may freeze when the temperature drops, causing more issues. You need to install a drain system to deal with this problem. You will need to use a concrete saw to create a channel drain, ensure it is at least 10 inches deep and construct a drain trench to carry the water away from the driveway.



 

4. How Can I Heat My Concrete Driveway?

 

5 Concrete Driveway Questions And Answers 5Christopher’s Washington, DC heated driveway working just fine on this snowy day – Photo Courtesy: Christopher Dorobek

 

A heated driveway is an excellent way to avoid a snowbound exit and entry to your home. The installation is not cheap and will take a little expertise, but here is a simplified version:

  • Cut ridges in the concrete with a concrete saw, about eight inches deep.
  • Lay down the appropriate radiant cables along these ridges.
  • Fill the gaps with a concrete patching compound.
  • Connect the radiant cables to the control system.
  • When the snow comes – turn on the heating system and watch it disappear!

 

5. How Do I Remove Black Algae From A Concrete Driveway?

 

5 Concrete Driveway Questions And Answers 6
High humidity and excessive rainfall can result in black algae build up, like here in Michael’s driveway in Grandville, Michigan. A pressure wash is in order. Photo Courtesy: Michael Mol

 

This nasty build up can be a result of high humidity and excessive rainfall, and it will not damage your concrete driveway but will provide an eyesore. It needs to be removed with a good old scrubbing brush and some powerful detergent. Simply scrub the affected areas until the algae starts to break up nicely. Rinse the area with your hosepipe and try not to let any detergent reach your lawn or border plants.

 

5 Concrete Driveway Questions And Answers 7Geoff’s house and driveway, in Houston, Texas after being pressure washed – ain’t it so clean and nice? Photo Courtesy: Geoff Sloan

 

Author of this post, Henry Finch; is an interior decorator by profession. An inventive person, he specializes in concrete decor and uses putzmeister concrete pumps for majority of his projects. He likes blogging and cycling in his spare time.



Filed Under: Garage and Driveway Tagged With: concrete driveway, home improvement tips

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Pages

  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Posts A – Z
  • Privacy
  • Sitemap

Categories

  • Apartments, Condominiums and Flats
  • Buying A Home
  • Countryside Living
  • Decor Ideas
    • Holiday Decorations
    • Home Decor
    • Nursery and Kids' Room Decor
    • Room Decor
    • Wall Decor
  • Eco-Friendly Ideas
  • Furnishings
    • Carpets & Rugs
    • Classic Furnishings
    • Curtains & Blinds
    • Home Furnishings
    • Upholstery and Fabrics
  • Home Building And Construction
  • Home Designs
    • Barn Conversions
    • Blueprints & Floorplans
    • Conservatories & Orangeries
    • Cottage Homes
    • Country Home Designs
    • English Country Homes
    • French Homes
    • Home Architecture
    • Home Design
    • Log Cabins & Homes
    • Ranches & Farms
    • Timber Frame Homes
  • Home Gardens
    • Backyard and Outdoors
    • Country Flowers
    • Country Gardens
    • Desert Garden and Landscaping
    • Fountains, Ponds and Streams
    • Garden Decor
    • Garden Fencing
    • Garden Gadgets
    • Garden Shed
    • Kitchen Gardens
    • Lawns
    • Potted Plants
    • Tree Houses
  • Home Improvement Ideas
    • Attics & Lofts
    • Basements
    • Ceiling & Roof
    • Decks & Patios
    • DIY Projects
    • Doors & Windows
    • Fascias, Soffits & Cornices
    • Fireplaces
    • Flooring
    • Gadgets for Home
    • Garage and Driveway
    • Home Accessories
    • Home Bars
    • Home Cleaning
    • Home Cooling
    • Home Exteriors
    • Home Heating
    • Home Improvement
    • Home Library
    • Home Painting
    • Home Renovations
    • Home Repairs
    • Home Theatre
    • Lighting
    • Pergolas & Trellis
    • Staircases
    • Storage Sheds
    • Swimming Pool
    • Tiles
    • Tools for Home
  • Home Location
  • Home Office
  • Home Security
  • House Moving
  • Interiors
    • Bathroom Interiors
    • Bedrooms Makeovers
    • Country Home Interior
    • Country Kitchens
    • Dining Room
    • Guest Bedroom
    • Home Interior
    • Interior Design & Designers
    • Kitchen Interiors
    • Lighting
    • Living Room
  • Rural Homes
  • Vintage Homeware
    • Antique Furniture
    • Chairs & Sofas
    • Collectables
    • Gothic Style
    • Homeware
    • Kitchenware
    • Stylish Mirrors
    • Telephones
    • Thrift Furniture
    • Vintage Crockery
    • Vintage Cushions
    • Vintage Decor

Copyright © 2023 · Lifestyle Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in