Protecting Your Home's Driveway With A Sealant
Driveways can be some of the most exposed areas of your property, and while the pavement will be designed to be able to withstand weathering and other types of harsh exposure, the driveway can still benefit from undergoing a sealing process.
Can Concrete Benefit From Sealing?
Asphalt is one of the most common materials used in driveways, and homeowners may be familiar with the need to have the asphalt sealed. However, they may assume that concrete is hard enough to be able to go without this protection. In reality, the hardness of the pavement will not impact whether sealants can help it, but the presence of pores. These openings in the surface of the pavement can allow enough water to enter the pavement to result in major damage to it. Concrete has a very porous surface, and this can make concrete driveways excellent candidates for undergoing the sealing process.
Is Sealing Only Able To Protect Against Moisture Damage?
Moisture damage is one of the main threats that your driveway will face, but discoloration can be another common threat. Concrete can be easily discolored by oil and other vehicle fluids, as these fluids can enter through the pores of the surface and cause permanent discoloration. Once severe staining has formed, resurfacing the concrete may be the only option for thoroughly removing the stain from the pavement. A sealant will be able to protect concrete against this problem by closing these pores so that pigments will have a much harder time getting trapped under the surface.
Is It Possible To Seal A Driveway That Has Surface Damage?
If your concrete driveway has surface damage, you will want to have it repaired before you invest in having the driveway sealed. If there are many cracks in the surface of the driveway, it will interfere with the ability of the sealant to thoroughly coat the entire surface, and this can allow moisture to seep into the pavement. Repairing any cracks in the surface of your pavement will be an important step for preparing the driveway to have a sealcoat applied to it. Luckily, there are patching kits that will allow you to easily perform this type of repair in a matter of minutes so that it will have a minimal impact on your ability to schedule sealing the driveway. If you are wanting to avoid having to do this maintenance on your own, many sealing services can perform minor patching to prepare the driveway for this maintenance.
For more information about concrete driveway sealing, contact a local company that offers this service.