What Should I Do To Protect The New Sealer On My Concrete Driveway?
Once your concrete driveway has been sealed, there are several things you should be aware of for the first couple of weeks until the sealer fully cures.
1) Tire Tracking
Caution should be taken when making tight or sharp turns on your freshly sealed driveway. If you wind up causing tire tracking there’s not a lot you can do to fix it. Unfortunately, only time and a little oxidization will make these disappear.
2) Power Steering Scuffs
Power steering scuffs are caused by turning your steering wheel while your vehicle is sitting in place. If turning around in your driveway is absolutely necessary, try and keep the vehicle moving at all times while you’re turning the steering wheel avoiding tight turns and moving forward and backwards until you’re turned around. Over time, power steering scuffs may or may not disappear and you may be able to see them just slightly.
3) Construction Equipment
If your driveway has been sealed recently and you plan on doing work on your property which requires any heavy construction equipment or heavy concrete mixer trucks, they should avoid driving on your freshly sealed concrete. If it's an absolute must, don't allow them to turn on the concrete.
4) Oil Spills
Oil spills are exactly what the new sealer is for... to protect the concrete. As long as oil spills are cleaned up soon after oil has leaked or spilled onto the concrete, your new sealer may have minor staining, and should be fine.
5) Fuel Spills
Fuel spills like regular unleaded gasoline may cause minor damage to the new concrete sealer. It would take some time to sit on the concrete to actually cause any severe damage. But you’ll want to try and clean them up as quickly as possible.
6) Citrus Based Cleaners
Spilling any type of citrus based cleaners will damage the concrete sealer. Avoid spilling citrus based cleaners at all costs.
7) Moving Vans
On more than one occasion we’ve seen moving vans completely destroy a freshly sealed concrete driveway. Avoid allowing moving vans on your driveway if at all possible.
8) Trash Collection Trucks
Trash trucks turning around in your driveway can strip the sealer off of the concrete. Not only that but trash trucks are are extremely heavy and can destroy even 6” thick parking lots. DON’T LET THEM ON YOUR CONCRETE DRIVEWAY!
In Closing
A lot of times we find the unethical, "fly by night" rip off contractors won't even call you back if you have problems with your new driveway sealer. The bottom line is they don't care about you or their reputation. We find a lot of contractors will promise people over and over to come back and fix things, but then never show up. They put homeowners off until the warranty has run out or you stop calling them. Don't let this happen to you. Read our eBook, Concrete Repair Red Flags: A Homeowner's Guide to Avoiding Concrete Repair Scams before hiring any concrete repair contractor.