Survey the Situation
With winter in the rear view, inspect your driveway for damage. Wherever ice accumulated during the cold months, there's a chance you're going to discover cracked concrete. Also, if any soil beneath the driveway shifted due to freeze-thaw cycles, dips or depressions may have appeared in the driveway surface. Finally, if you made a habit of applying a de-icer to the driveway, its ammonium may have caused at least parts of the concrete to flake or peel.
Spray of Hope
Next, no matter the condition of your driveway, give it a thorough cleaning. Don't worry: Doing so requires much less work and labor than you might have feared, particularly if you're armed with HYDE PivotPro Outdoor Cleaning Wand. The attachment turns your garden hose into a powerhouse cleaning tool, not least because its pivoting nozzle enables you to spray down the concrete from every angle, all without bending or stretching.
Soap Up, Scrub Down
PivotPro easily blasts away run-of-the-mill driveway crud, but if you're dealing with stained or heavily soiled concrete, water alone won't do the trick. To add punch, simply pour soap into the PivotPro mixing reservoir, set the soap-to-water ratio on the tool, then trigger a strong, steady stream of soap-infused H20. Plus, you can always swing the adjustable stiff-bristle brush into position and scrub while you spray for maximum cleaning power.
Damage Control
Now it's time to deal with any driveway damage. If you spotted cracks when surveying the concrete surface, don't delay. Seemingly benign cracks, if ignored, can end up devastating a concrete driveway, forcing the installation to be ripped out and replaced. Remember to make your repairs, not with regular concrete, but with specially formulated crack filler. Once finished, coat the driveway with concrete sealer to safeguard against future damage.
On the Surface
If, for all your efforts, the driveway still looks worse for wear, consider resurfacing the concrete. In effect, applying a resurfacer works to conceal the existing installation under a fresh, all-new concrete layer. For the average do-it-yourselfer, driveway resurfacing can be a one-day project, as it requires no special skills or hard-to-find supplies. Bear in mind, however, that to achieve satisfying results, cracks and crevices must be patched beforehand.
For More...
For more on exterior maintenance, consider:
Your Guide to Spring Cleaning the Home Exterior
6 Simple Steps to a Refreshed Deck
One Attachment Turns Your Garden Hose into a Powerhouse Cleaning Tool
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