A lot of people do not realise just how much care they should be putting into their driveway if they want it to retain its quality and appearance, especially through the harsh winter season. In fact, there are many people who don’t even realise that they even need to care for their driveway in the first place, much less take extra care during the winter. With that being said, if you want to make sure that your driveway looks as good as possible for as long as possible, you may want to consider taking the efforts necessary to protect your driveway. Thankfully, caring for a driveway is a fairly straightforward process and it is relatively easy to obtain everything you need to do so.

With this in mind, it is important for you to take note of what kind of driveway you are working with. Different paving materials require different kinds of care. If you really want to keep your driveway safe and good-looking, it is even more important for you to take note of your driveway material, as some materials are more prone to certain conditions than others. Because concrete driveways tend to be one of the most common driveways around, you will first need to learn about all of the different ways you can protect your concrete driveway during the cold winter season, and why caring for the concrete is important.

Caring for Concrete

Most people think of concrete as a sturdy material that doesn’t need a lot of interference or maintenance, and for the most part, this is correct. However, if you are caring for your driveway for the sake of its appearance, then matters are different. Concrete is a common paving material used for driveways because it is durable and long-lasting. These driveways can easily last for decades at a time, even without proper care. With good care, they can last even longer than this. For concrete driveways, there are a few things that you can do to keep yours safe and protected this winter.

  • Non-corrosive Materials

For one, you are going to want to make sure that you select materials for your driveway that are not corrosive. Many salts and de-icing materials are designed to be corrosive to remove snow and to prevent ice from forming on the driveway. With concrete driveways, this corrosive material can actually damage the rock itself. Common rock salt is known to deteriorate concrete driveways. If you need to use a de-icer on your driveway, you should consider using calcium chloride or even just sand or cat litter for extra traction.

  • Using a Plastic Shovel

It is also important to note that concrete can easily be destroyed by a metal shovel. When it eventually comes time to shovel the snow off your driveway, you should consider using a plastic shovel at an angle as you dig the snow off. If you do not have a plastic shovel, you can use other alternatives. Just remember not to use a metal shovel, as this can chip the concrete away, leading to a scuffed driveway that nobody is proud of.

Keeping the Driveway Beautiful

During the winter season, there are plenty of things that you can do to keep your driveway looking good. Of course, you will always want to make sure that you shovel the driveway after every snowfall, not only so your cars can get out, but so the driveway stays open to the sun.

  • Restore any cracks immediately

For concrete driveways, you also need to keep an eye out for hairline cracks. These are thin cracks that commonly appear as concrete driveways age. To restore these cracks, all you will need is a heated, expanding sealant to put inside the cracks.

  • Park large vehicles elsewhere

If you want to reduce the chances of your driveway developing a large web of cracks, you will want to find another place in your yard for large, heavy-duty trucks to park. Of course, concrete is easily sturdy enough to handle a few vehicles at a time. But having a large, heavy-duty vehicle (such as a campervan), repeatedly driving on and off the driveway can wear down the concrete quickly. This will lead to a bad appearance, potential cracks, and other similar problems. If you want to keep your driveway beautiful for the winter, you should consider parking large vehicles elsewhere on your yard or street.

If you’re looking to get a sleek concrete driveway installed this winter, get in touch with the friendly and professional team at Simply Driveways. With more than two decades of experience as a concreter in Melbourne, the expert team will find the perfect concrete driveway solution for you.