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Is it common to seal concrete in the Pittsburgh area? I power wash my concrete patio and driveway annually, and lately I have been disappointed at how quickly it starts to get dirty again. Therefore, I started to look into concrete sealer thinking it might help keep it clean. Of course, the marketing departments for the sealant manufacturers and the local companies you can hire to apply sealer all stress the importance of concrete sealer. So, I bought all the tools necessary to apply the sealer along with an ungodly amount of Quickrete water-based silane/siloxine sealer. I did the patio first, as it is much smaller. The application of the sealer went smoothly and it seems to be working, as water beads up on the surface. A side-effect of the newly sealed surface is that it takes much longer for water to evaporate from the surface of the sealed concrete. It makes sense, it just wasn't something that I had anticipated. In addition, I believe that the sealer is "breathable" and some water does penetrate the sealer through osmosis, which I also did not anticipate concrete sealing washington dc. Now, with my eye towards winter, I am wondering if I should apply the sealant to my driveway after making these two observations. When I shovel my unsealed driveway on a sunny day, it is bone dry in no time. I am afraid that if I apply the sealer to the driveway, the snowmelt from the dregs of snow left after shoveling my driveway will just bead up and not evaporate, leaving my driveway covered in a sheet of bumpy ice. In addition, the sealers are touted as a means to protect your concrete from free/thaw damage. However, if water is able to penetrate the sealer, how is it providing any protection from damage? If anything, it seems that the sealer is causing the concrete to hold onto the moisture longer, which I would think would increase potential freeze/thaw damage. So, what do locals generally do when it comes to concrete sealer? If I go through the time and expense of actually applying it to my driveway, will it do any good? Will it keep it clean? Will it provide any added protection against damage? Does it really only last a year or two?! (That last question alone might be enough of a deal-breaker!)
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Hi many would suggest it's good idea but realistically dirt will still sit on top of it and need to be cleaned I have concrete painted driveways like cobbles but each year I give them a spray with white vinegar and a hose down kills most of th3 bacteria and stains if you leave it on for half our failing that tfr for cars water it down 10% to whatever volume of water it hold the crap back pretty well too
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