How to Protect Your Driveway From Cracking, Pitting and Crumbling

It’s been said that your home’s concrete is its calling card. This is certainly true for its driveway, which is usually the first thing you see as you approach a home from the street. So, when a driveway is left to crack and crumble over time, it can really be an eyesore that conveys a negative impression of your home even before a guest sets foot inside.

Not only that, but a crumbling driveway can also lower your home’s value along with its curb appeal. Plus, cracks and pits can even present tripping hazards that can be dangerous to visitors and family members alike.

So, you may ask, “How do I protect my driveway from cracking and crumbling?” The answer is, it’s actually easier and less expensive than you might think to protect your driveway and other concrete, such as sidewalks, patios and pool decks permanently.

But first, let’s get an idea why good concrete goes bad.

Water, Water Everywhere

Water is concrete’s enemy. It can wash away supporting soil when there’s too much of it. It can cause soil to shrink when there’s too little. And when it freezes and thaws over and over, it can cause concrete surfaces to crack, pit and crumble.

Here’s the thing: concrete is porous, so it acts like a giant sponge. So, what happens is, water is absorbed at the surface — maybe from rain or melting snow. Then, if temperatures drop below freezing, the water turns into ice, which expands and breaks the walls of those pores, weakening the concrete.

You probably wouldn’t see anything at first. Unfortunately, though, it worsens exponentially with every freeze/thaw cycle until the pitting and flaking becomes obvious to the naked eye.

In addition to damage caused by freezing and thawing, concrete’s porous nature makes it susceptible to staining from chemicals, dirt and other materials. As with cracking and pitting, staining is an eyesore that can reduce your home’s curb appeal.

So, how can you prevent all this from happening?

The Seal of Protection

The key to protecting your home’s concrete for the long term is to seal it from the elements. This seems like a no-brainer, but too many homeowners forgo this simple step only to regret it years later when it becomes necessary to replace or resurface their driveways and patios.

So, it’s off to the big-box DIY store to buy a five-gallon bucket of sealant, right? Wrong. Not all sealants are made alike. The stuff they sell at the box store is messy and has to be reapplied every few years, which can get expensive. Plus, it likely won’t be compatible with new concrete.

SealantPro™ from Foundation Supportworks is a proprietary formulation that permanently protects concrete with just one application, extending its life by 3-5 times. Plus, SealantPro is applied by experienced technicians who are specifically trained in its use.

How It Works

SealantPro is a state-of-the-art material that bonds with concrete on a molecular level, permanently protecting it from water, dirt and other contaminants in a single coat. Once applied, SealantPro dries in minutes and is fully cured in just 6 hours, so you can use your concrete the same day. It is simple, fast, economical and extremely effective.

Points to Remember

SealantPro permanently protects concrete with just one application. SealantPro protects and adds value to your home by extending the life of your driveway, pool deck and other concrete structures by 3-5 times.SealantPro penetrates concrete and permanently bonds with it, helping minimize stains from liquids such as oil or gasoline.Unlike other solutions, SealantPro can be applied on new concrete.Compared to do-it-yourself solutions, SealantPro costs less over time because it does not need to be reapplied.SealantPro reduces ice bonding, making ice removal easier. SealantPro is UV resistant and won’t discolor over time.

Protection With a Pop of Color

There’s another option available when it comes to protecting your home’s concrete, also developed by Foundation Supportworks. It’s called DecoShield™ and it adds curb appeal to your home’s concrete by giving your driveway, sidewalk, patio and pool deck a hint of translucent color while protecting them from the elements. DecoShield is a great way to minimize the appearance of mismatched concrete slabs or to simply add a level of “bling” to your home’s appearance.

We should note that unlike SealantPro, which bonds with the concrete permanently and sits below its surface, DecoShield is a topical sealer and needs to be reapplied every two-to-three years, depending on traffic and UV exposure.

So, whether you’ve just built a brand-new home, or you’ve updated your existing home with a new driveway, patio or sidewalk or you simply want to protect your existing concrete, SealantPro and DecoShield are the way to go when it comes to safeguarding your investment.

To learn more, reach out to your local SealantPro and DecoShield dealer for a free, no-obligation inspection.