Concrete Paving Care & Maintenance – Minneapolis St. Paul, MN

Before the Richfield Concrete finishing crew leaves, they’ll give you instructions on how to care for your new driveway or other project over the next few days, and when you’ll be able to drive or park on it. The time required for concrete to fully cure is variable, so follow the timeline carefully. Typically, here’s how it goes:

• First Week – Immediately, you’ll need to keep children, pets, and inquisitive neighbors off your new concrete for several hours, until it is set solid and the surface is hard. Even foot traffic can cause permanent marks on freshly finished concrete. You’ll be able to walk on your concrete within 24 hours, but you should avoid putting anything heavy on the surface.
• The Curing Period – After seven to ten days, your driveway will have cured adequately for you to drive vehicles on it. That time can vary, depending on the temperature. Follow the advice of Richfield Concrete expert closely, to avoid damaging your new surface.

The beauty of choosing a concrete driveway is how little maintenance and care it really needs. Cleaning your concrete periodically and keeping it sealed are the key components of any good maintenance program. How often you clean and reseal will largely depend on the conditions the concrete is exposed to, especially weather extremes, sunlight intensity and the amount of foot or vehicle traffic.

• Control Plantings – Trees, bushes and other plants can cause problems if they are planted too close to your driveway. Roots can raise the concrete, cracking it and causing it to break off and crumble. Weeds may sprout in any cracks that develop, but can be treated with spot herbicides.
• Clean Up Spills – Using a pressure washer to spray and clean the area immediately after spilling oil, gasoline, grease or other stains is the best bet for removing these types of stains. Act fast to prevent permanent staining.
• Avoid Heavy Loads – Keep heavy trucks and equipment off your driveway. Although concrete is durable, residential driveways are not meant to hold heavy vehicles and large equipment.
• Snow Removal – Use care when plowing or shoveling your driveway. Lift the blade up so not to scrape or scar the driveway’s surface.
• Avoid Salt – Avoid putting salt on your driveway. Salt can cause scaling, crumbling and deterioration of concrete driveways. Using salt during the first winter after your driveway has been poured is especially harmful, but you should avoid using salt at any time on concrete. Use sand, instead, or consider using an ice melt product that does not contain sodium chloride. Read and follow the instructions on the packaging carefully.
• Apply Sealant – Every 5 years, it’s important to re-seal concrete surfaces. You can do this job yourself, carefully following the instructions on the sealing product, since spread rates differ. If you prefer to have sealing done professionally, please call us for an estimate.
• Finish Garage Floors – For garage floors, carefully consider having an epoxy sealer and finish applied by a professional before stains have a chance to occur. Ask your Richfield Concrete representative for a referral to one of our professional business partners.

You can count on Richfield Concrete to help you understand the proper care of your new concrete surface. We have long experience with concrete driveways, and will help you understand how to preserve and protect the beauty of your new driveway or other project. Please feel free to call us anytime if you have questions about caring for any project we’ve done for you. If you need help with sealing or finishing your concrete, we’d love to help!