No matter where you live, your driveway takes a lot of abuse. We are going to show you how to pressure wash and seal your concrete driveway to keep it looking its best.
Salt, motor oil, grind, over time these stains can weaken the body edges in concrete and brick and causing early deterioration, and frankly, it just looks bad. The answer is regular pressure washing followed by a good resealing.
No we are going to be pressure washing a concrete driveway, but many of these same steps apply to brick as well. So let's talk tools. For the first step, pressure washing, you will need a pressure washer, detergents, specifically formulated for your pressure washer, degreaser or commercial grade cleaner, 50-foot or shorter garden hose, a stiff brush, safety goggles, and rubber gloves.
A medium to heavy duty pressure washer is ideal for this project. Now if you do have a light duty unit, you need to keep the water stream closer to the surface. Pressure washes with the PSI of 2200 to 3000 should be held about 8-18" from the surface, and a pressure washer with the PSI rating over 3000 should be held 12-30" from the surface. You'll find the complete tool list and instructions for this project at lowes.com/videos.
So with your tools ready, set up your pressure washer according to the manufacturer's instructions. Now, since you should be working with a lot of pressure, it's especially important that you review and safety and precautions for your unit, and wear the appropriate clothing, including closed-toed shoes. Also, never point the sprayer at anyone.
Now if you are pressure washing brick, use a garden hose to water down the entire area first. For concrete, you can skip this step. Then pretreat any problem areas. Now although it's not always possible to remove set-in stains, a pressure washer approved multi surface cleaning detergent and a heavy degreaser might help. You can also use a spray-on commercial grade clear.
Wearing rubber gloves and safety goggles, spray the area, and let the cleaner soak in according to instructions. Then scrub it with utility broom or your pressure washer's brush attachments.
On brick, a white discoloration called efflorescence should also be pretreated this way. Still you can do it with the pressure washer specific detergent. Now these are typically biodegradable, so they won't harm the vegetation around your driveway, but it's especially important that you not use bleach, because it can harm your unit and the environment.
Connect the unit's water supply to a garden hose no longer than 50 feet. Connect the spray gun, wand, and low pressure tip to the unit. Make sure you keep the safety latch on. Now turn on the water.
When trying to start the motor, if the edge and recoil are stiff, squeeze the spray gun trigger to relieve internal pump pressure. Then start the motor. Press the spray trigger until soap is visible in the water stream. As with any cleaning product, it's best to test it in an inconspicuous spot first. Now begin cleaning.
Move the wand over the driveway slowly using long even strokes. Keep your speed constant and a distance between the nozzle and your driveway consistent, so you avoid streaking, stripping, or leaving distinguishing spots on your drive. Let the detergent sit on the surface for 5-10 minutes or 20 minutes for brick. Don't let the detergent dry, keep re-wetting it with the gentle spray as needed.
After the detergent has had time to work, set the pressure washer to rinse and squeeze the trigger until the stream is clear. Switch to a high pressure tip, then rinse the surface. Now if you are pressure washing a brick drive way, make sure you rinse with a low pressure spray tip.
Now after pressure washing, it's always recommended that you reseal the surface to prevent stains from setting in in the future. For this step you'll need concrete sealer, a paint roller with an extension pole, paint tray, a paint brush, and a stir stick. You might also need an empty 5-gallon bucket.
Now it's important you apply the sealer to a dry surface. So after cleaning, let your concrete dry for a few days. Now you also want to give the sealer a day or two to cure. So make sure no rain is in the forecast. And one more thing, don't apply sealer to a freshly poured driveway. New concrete should cure before applying sealer.
Before applying the sealer, stir it well. Now if your sealer came in gallon cans, you might want to pour them into a 5-gallon bucket to make stirring easier. Then pour some into a paint tray. Start by brushing the edges and the seams between the pads first. Then apply with a roller, working in small section, always working from the middle out. Let the sealer dry according to the manufacturer's directions before using your driveway. Replacing a driveway can cause your thousands of dollars, but by giving it an annual wash down and reseal, you help protect your investment.
If you are looking for more tips and how to spruce up and protect your home, visit Lowes.com/videos.
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