Tips & Information

With your driveway installation, it’s crucial to keep the driveway well maintained and this will show you have pride in your property.

With the tips below we offer the best ways to maintain your driveway at little or no cost and covering the variety of materials at your disposal. Three things to always remember when it comes to driveway maintenance:

Remove stains quickly

Never use de-icing chemicals

Don’t park large vehicles without guidance

Concrete driveway

Concrete driveway maintenance

If you have a concrete driveway, the secret to maintaining its aesthetic appeal is with correct cleaning and sealing.

Sealing: With sealing you can lengthen a driveway’s life expectancy and it’s recommended by experts to carry out this every two years. Other times you should consider sealing is if you spot signs of wear. Suitable sealers can be purchased from most home improvement stores.

Cleaning: The frequency in which cleaning should be carried out depends fully on how often the driveway’s used. Always remove oil spills immediately to prevent discolouration, whilst dirt and grime build-up can be eliminated with a power washer.

Brickweave/block driveway

Brick driveway maintenance

Brick driveways look great but they can be an expensive investment, so you want to make sure keeping it in a great condition. There are three ways to do this:

Frequent weeding: By weeding your driveway on a regular basis you’ll prevent a build-up and ensure it’s not left to become a chore. Once a week is enough; simply walking over your drive and removing weeds sprouting between the cracks.

Regular sweeping: Dirt and mud can be quite common on brick driveways so by purchasing a decent sweeper and carrying out this task you can prevent it from packing down. If this happens it’ll be harder to remove.

Power washing: For any driveway you should consider a power washer as it truly is a great purchase. This is no different with brick installations. Be aware of using a power washer on loose bricks or slabs though because the water can get underneath and dislodge them further.

Gravel driveway

Gravel driveway maintenance

Gravel driveways are quickly becoming the most popular home installations in the UK. This is for a number of reasons, including their excellent appeal and cheap installation. Maintaining this look is paramount too, and there are a few ways to do this:

Weeding: Weeds are one common problem with a gravel driveway and to prevent this you should apply weed killer once a week, removing any that appear as well.

Raking: When it comes to gravel you want to rake regularly to keep the surface level and it’s recommended to carry this out weekly. Sweeping loose stones back on the driveway is another way to maintain appeal too.

Potholes: Pot holes can appear on gravel driveways and this is sometimes a reason the surface is altogether avoided. Actually, the problem can be easy to fix. You simply need to rake back the gravel, fill the hole with sand and then replace the gravel.

Asphalt driveway

Asphalt driveway maintenance

Asphalt is another popular driveway material because of its excellent appeal and will last for years too. Remember though that maintenance will still be important because it can quickly go downhill if mistreated.

Rinsing: Dirt and debris can build up on your driveway and the best way to remove this is with a hose. Keeping the surface clean will also give you the chance to spot cracks early so you can have the problem dealt with.

Spills: You want to avoid any kind of spill entirely but this isn’t always possible. With any spillage you need to use towels or rags to soak up the liquid and then wash it down with a hose. If a stain remains after this, use a detergent and brush.

Seal Coating: Once installed you shouldn’t need to reseal the surface too frequently. This really is only needed after repair work has been carried out by a specialist.

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