Concrete Driveway FAQ's
Get All Your Concrete Installation FAQ's Answered
01. How Much Does It Cost To Install A Concrete Driveway?
The Short Answer: A concrete driveway runs between $7.00 and $18.00 Per Sq Ft nationwide.
The Real Answer: It depends. Is it a brand new concrete driveway on virgin ground or are you removing and replacing an existing concrete driveway? How big is it?
To get closer to the real cost, variables that can add to the price of a new concrete driveway:
The size of the driveway. How much excavating and grading is needed for proper water drainage? Will there be steel reinforcement or wire mesh? Fiberglass mesh in the concrete mix? PSI rating? Color added? Stamped or patterned? Control joints hand cut in with a groover while it’s still wet or saw cut in after it’s dried? How thick will the concrete be?
Concrete driveway costs are determined by a strict calculated method that honest concrete professionals use. Since every job is entirely different from the next, your job will not cost the same as the one down the street or the one in the next neighborhood over.
Or, Get up to 3 FREE estimates from our certified concrete driveway pros near you.
02. Should A New Concrete Driveway Crack?
The Short Answer: Yes. Unfortunately, it’s not IF a new concrete driveway will crack, but WHEN and WHERE it will crack.
On The Other Hand: Many cracks soon after installation could be a sign of a poorly installed concrete driveway. If you’re seeing excessive cracking on your new concrete driveway, something could be very wrong.
03. How Thick Should A Concrete Driveway Be?
Answer: The thickness of a concrete driveway should be a minimum of 4″.
But what’s the condition of the soil it’s being installed on? A concrete driveway is only as good as what’s beneath it, regardless of the thickness.
For a more in depth answer regarding concrete thickness,
04. Should A Base Be Installed Prior To Installing A Concrete Driveway?
Answer: A concrete driveway is only as stable as what’s beneath it.
Is it clay and expands and heaves? Is it sandy? Then a solid base should be installed before installing a concrete driveway.
Is the natural soil decomposed granite or has there been a base material installed previously? Then likely there is no need to add base material.
We wrote an article on concrete driveway base preparation that covers this topic in more detail.
05. What Type Of Ongoing Maintenance Does A Concrete Driveway Require?
Answer: Sealing the surface of the concrete should be done on a regular basis. Typically every 3 to 5 years.
Sealing cracks as they appear will greatly sustain the life of a concrete driveway.
06. How Long Does It Take To Install A Concrete Driveway?
The Short Answer: Typically it takes several days to install a concrete driveway. Excavation for drainage, fine grading and compacting, setting forms, installing steel or wire reinforcement can take 2 to 3 days.
Pouring the concrete and finishing can take 1 to 2 days.
Freshly poured concrete must sit for up to 7 days before being used.
The Real Answer: The amount of time it takes to install a concrete driveway depends on the size of the driveway, the amount of excavation and fine grading needed to complete the job and the type of finish chosen.
07. What Are The Different Types Of Concrete Driveway Finishes Available?
Answer: While the list can be almost endless, the most common finishes are broom finish and sand finish. A multitude of different looks and colors can be accomplished with colored stamped and patterned finishes.
Find ideas and see some beautiful, colorful concrete driveway designs submitted by some of our users and contractors.
Get All Your Concrete Maintenance & Repair FAQ's Answered
01. How Often Should A Concrete Driveway Be Sealed?
Answer: A concrete driveway should be sealed every 3 to 5 years depending on the type of sealer that’s used, how much use the driveway gets and most importantly, if you live in a snowy, cold, wet region and deicing chemicals or salt are used on the roads.
02. How Much Does Concrete Driveway Sealing Cost?
The Short Answer: The cost to seal a concrete driveway runs between $0.50 and $2.00 per square foot.
The Real Answer: The cost to seal a concrete driveway depends on a few things. Here’s just a few.
- The size of the driveway
- The amount of cleaning and pressure washing that needs to be done before sealing.
- The amount of cracks that need to be sealed.
- The amount of repairs that need to be done.
Get up to 3 FREE estimates from our certified concrete driveway pros.
03. How Do I Clean Oil Spots Of Of My Concrete Driveway?
Answer: A heavy duty degreaser and a wire brush. Scrub the oil spot off and rinse it well.
Cat little or topsoil are excellent alternatives if the oil spots are very recent or fresh. Let the cat little or topsoil sit on the oil spot for a few days. Alternate the oil soaked litter or topsoil with dry litter or soil every couple of days until the oil spot disappears.
04. How Frequent Should Cracks Be Sealed?
Answer: Seal cracks when they are visibly open more than 1/8″ to 1/4″ of an inch or wider. Seal them up again when they are visibly opening up from the previous sealing. This may be every year, every other year or more.
Cracks that are less than 1/8″ are very difficult to seal as the material cannot penetrate the crack properly. Sealer can also get on the surface of the driveway which can be very unsightly.
05. Is It Safe To Use Ice Melting Chemicals or Salt On A Concrete Driveway?
Answer: Unfortunately, ice melting chemicals and salt can damage and stain the surface of the concrete.
While the best answer may not be the most popular, we covered this question in a recent article about what to use for ice on your concrete driveway.
06. Can I Pressure Wash My Concrete Driveway?
Answer: Yes. It’s safe to pressure wash concrete. However, it’s best to avoid extremely high pressure which can not only damage the surface but can inject water into the capillaries which can be detrimental to the surface of the concrete in cold, icy climates.
07. Can A Concrete Driveway Be Overlayed?
The Short Answer: Yes, in some cases. Concrete Driveways can be overlayed one of two ways. A spray overlay or by adding 1/4″ or more of resurfacing mix that can be stamped and patterned with a variety of different colors.
The Real Answer: Not all concrete driveways can be overlayed. Concrete that has extensive damage cannot and should not be overlayed. Furthermore, the cost to repair concrete driveways with extensive damage before overlaying the concrete, would likely far exceed the cost to remove and replace the concrete.
08. Can a concrete driveway be resurfaced?
Answer: Yes. New an exciting concrete technologies introduced in the past several years have made it possible to resurface concrete driveways. However, often times the fix is more expensive than just removing and replacing the concrete.
Check out some concrete driveway designs that some of our users and contractors have sent us!
09. Can I Paint My Concrete Driveway?
Answer: Yes, you can. You can also paint a car with a paint brush, but should you? No. Paint will flake and chip off of concrete.
10. How Do I Prevent Weeds From Growing In The Cracks Of My Concrete Driveway?
Answer: Clean the crack out as good as possible with a screwdriver or other similar object as much as a few inches deep. Apply a weed inhibitor and allow to dry for 24 to 48 hours. Seal the crack with a professional concrete sealer.
*Be sure to use caution when using sharp objects, applying weed inhibitor and handling chemicals by wearing gloves, eye protection and an air filtering breathing mask.
11. How Soon Should A Concrete Driveway Be Sealed After Installation?
The sooner you seal a new concrete driveway the better, but no sooner than at least 3 weeks after installation.
Sealing your concrete driveway is imperative if you live in a snowy region and the Department Of Transportation uses Magnesium Chloride or salt on the streets, roads and highways.
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