Although decorative concrete maintenance is minimal there are a few measures that need to

be taken periodically to ensure that your concrete patio, walkway, driveway or pool deck will

last a lifetime.

Simply hosing down your decorative concrete driveway once a week is a simple preventive

maintenance step that can add years to your decorative concrete driveway. Also, using a stiff

bristled broom can often be enough to dislodge any foreign particles from the surface.

In more extreme cases, a thorough pressure washing may be necessary to give the concrete

surface a good deep clean, removing any debris that may have worked their way deep down

into the pores of the concrete slab. 1200 psi is enough pressure to remove any foreign matter

that has been locked into the surface, anymore then this amount could cause potential issues

with delamination of the surface.

Do not place potted plants directly on the surface; instead they should be placed on either a

plant stand or on a plate. If this step is ignored, the potential for plant fertilizers to discolour the

concrete surface is high.

Take note of any cleaning solutions that you use on the surface. Any product that has a high

acidic content should be diluted down or not use at all and immediately rinsed off the surface

after use. Ammonia based products should be avoided all together.

If tree sap and other sticky material is a problem and leaving frequent deposits on your

concrete overlays and a pressure washer will not remove them, you may have some success

with the use of Goo Gone or Dissolve It. Tire skid marks can be removed with carburetor

cleaner as well as left over asphalt stains.

Finally, all decorative concrete surfaces should be sealed to prevent foreign matter build up.

One must keep in mind that concrete is a porous material filled with millions of tiny channels

that have the potential to be filled with foreign matter. Therefore all exterior concrete surfaces

should be sealed prior to being opened up to traffic. At some point in the future you will need

to schedule a reseal of your custom concrete. These sealers not only protect your surface from

build-up of grime, they also help to shield from the harmful UV rays.

Increasing slip resistance is also a common concern and can easily be accomplished by adding

an aggregate to the concrete sealer.