As winter approaches, probably one of the last things on your mind is keeping your driveway in good condition. However, if you want to make sure that your kerb appeal and property value is at its best during the winter months, you should think about keeping your driveway in good condition. Depending on the material of your driveway, this is easier said than done. Some driveway materials are more delicate than others, meaning that you have to pay close attention to the temperature and the weather outside. Other driveway materials, such as a concrete driveway, are resilient to most weather and climate changes, which is great news if you want to keep your driveway looking good during the winter.

First things first, though; when you are caring for your driveway in the winter, there are a few things that you will want to pay attention to first.

Inspecting the Pavement

Doing an inspection on your concrete driveway is never a bad idea to start with. It will give you good ideas on what could become problem areas and which areas need to be protected when the weather gets to be extreme. Especially after summer passes, there’s a good chance that there could be cracks in the pavement from the heat. These cracks can become vulnerabilities for the whole slab of concrete, potentially leading to large-scale damage for your whole driveway. Another thing you should note while doing this is that taking photos is never a bad idea as they will be something that you can use to compare your driveway to when the next winter comes around.

Sealing the Cracks

Speaking of cracks in the concrete driveway, if you notice that there are some, you should take the appropriate measures to seal the cracks up. Cracks in the pavement almost invite damage in, meaning that if you want your driveway to look good and not need major repairs, you should seal them up as soon as you notice them. Usually, you only need to seal cracks every ten years but when winter is coming and you want to play it safe, you should talk to your driveway specialists about which sealant would be best for your situation.

Knowing How to De-Ice the Driveway

Something you should be well aware of with a concrete driveway is that you should never use typical de-icers. Most de-icers use ammonium nitrate, which can and will damage your driveway. Instead, you have two options. You could consider a calcium-based de-icer to keep your driveway from icing over during the winter. However, this will damage any plants and grass surrounding it, which means that if you have had some landscaping done, you might want to go with an alternative. Sand also works as an environmentally safe alternative and it is cheap to get. Of course, if you live in an area where ice isn’t a problem, then you have nothing to worry about so it’s always a good idea to check and see how prone to ice your area is.

Cleaning the Driveway

The best way to keep your driveway cared for is to sweep it off and pressure clean it every so often. Sweeping the driveway makes sure that the path is clear and free of debris, which also ensures that the risk of frost is minimal. Additionally, power washing the driveway will make sure that it is perfectly clean, which means that there will be even less risk of frost on your driveway. These are all important steps in taking good care of your concrete driveway.

For professional advice on how to take care of your coloured concrete driveway, exposed aggregate concrete driveway or textured concrete driveway, contact the specialists at Simply Driveways today.