Once your driveway has been installed, you need to wait up to a month for it to cure. In this time, the water in the concrete will completely evaporate and the concrete is then ready to be prepared for sealing.
Wait at least 30 days before sealing a new concrete surface—whether indoors or out—so that it has time to completely cure first. For the best results, the concrete surface should be clean and dry. That means no rain should be in the week's forecast if you're working outdoors on a patio, bench, or sidewalk.
If you apply a concrete sealer to a concrete slab that has not fully cured, then you risk ruining and harming the concrete's potential future strength. However, if you apply the sealer after the curing process has been completed, then your concrete will be perfectly strong and protected throughout its lifespan.
Just as you paint your home regularly, you should seal your concrete routinely to protect it from moisture and prolong its life. When concrete is first placed, you want to keep moisture in; once it has matured, you want to keep moisture out — particularly concrete which will be subject to freezing and thawing.
Weather, traffic, and chemical abrasion destroy concrete, especially over time. Repairing or re-pouring concrete walkways, driveways, docks, decks, patios, and other surfaces can be expensive. Proper curing and sealing increase the lifespan of freshly-poured concrete, reducing maintenance costs, long-term.
The method requires sealing an 18x18-inch clear plastic sheet to the concrete. After 16 hours, if any condensation is found under the plastic sheet or the concrete has darkened, the concrete is considered too wet to coat.
For new concrete, allow it to cure for at least 28 days before sealing it with any kind of sealer. You can seal old concrete any time as long as no old sealing products are apparent. To know when to reapply topical concrete sealers, look for signs of wear, flaking, or discoloration.
Experts who recommend having a concrete surface sealed are doing their customers a big favor. Without this extra layer of protection, concrete will absorb moisture and may begin to crack, spall, flake, and discolor, among other things.
If you have cracks in your concrete, sealing won't do anything for those. You'll expend money and effort on something that you might rather replace before too much longer. Sealers fade. The seal on your concrete will fade over time, especially in high-traffic areas.
Concrete should be sealed to protect from mold and mildew.
Because concrete is a porous material, it has a tendency to absorb moisture. When this moisture doesn't dry and the surface is left wet for an extended period of time, mildew begins to form and mold begins to grow.
You should NOT use salt on a concrete driveway.
Salt can and will eat away at the surface of your concrete and asphalt.
Properly curing your concrete improves strength, durability, water tightness, and resistance for many years. The first 7 days after installation you should spray the slab with water 5-10 times per day, or as often as possible. Once the concrete is poured the curing process begins immediately.
If it loses too much moisture through evaporation, it will not cure properly and will become prone to cracks. Many construction specialists recommend watering it down five to ten times per day, for the first week, starting 2-4 hours after it has been poured.
Concrete sealers are best applied in two thin coats. The first coat of sealer acts like a primer. Most of it will disappear into the concrete surface, and the concrete will probably look fairly unattractive after the first coat. The second thin coat will provide an even finish, color enhancement and gloss.
Concrete can be described as a hard sponge that soaks up oil and water-based spills. Easily marked by tires and outdoor elements, it is important to seal the surface, so it looks beautiful year-round. The other benefit to sealing concrete is improved cleaning and maintenance.
Sealer that is applied too heavily or too often will create an impermeable barrier and trap that water vapor beneath it. If enough pressure is created by trapped water vapor, the sealer can delaminate from the concrete surface, and might even take some of the concrete paste with it!
Can Sealing Prevent Cracks on Concrete Surfaces? Concrete sealing can stop most types of concrete fractures. This fact is especially true if the crack is a result of poor-quality work in the concrete mix or site preparation. However, sealing can prevent future damage that may start from the top layer of the concrete.
Your concrete professionals can apply the new coating right on top of whatever sealant is left on the concrete and, just as the first time, you only need to remain off of the surface for 24 hours to allow it to dry completely.
In order to properly seal your concrete, then, you must clean the surface of the substrate before applying a concrete sealer of any variety. The easiest and most effective way to clean the concrete will vary depending on the condition of your concrete and whether it has been treated with chemical stains.
Concrete that is not moist-cured at all dries too rapidly, and reaches less than half its potential design strength. It will also have a greater number of shrinkage cracks.
HOW DOES RAIN AFFECT CONCRETE? Rain falling on top of freshly laid concrete can damage the surface and compromise a level and floated finish.
For concrete to dry and reach its full strength, it typically takes about 28 days per inch of slab thickness. Once conditions are conducive for the concrete to cure at 85-90% relative humidity.
Concrete that has had water standing on it for it's entire life crumbles quickly but not all standing water is the same. If the puddle is in a shady area and deeper than 1/4” it will shorten the life of the slab.