As a proud home owner, you want your driveway to look good. After all, it is the first thing people see when they drive up to your house. With passing years, your driveway has been weathered by the elements and needs some maintenance. You have considered your options… packed dirt, gravel, pavement, concrete or even inter-locking blocks, but they all have so many down sides!
Packed dirt was a totally acceptable option at the beginning of the last century, but it is no longer acceptable if you wish to keep some resale value in your house. Gravel spreads on your lawn and needs to be raked back onto the driveway too often to make this a practical solution. Pavement tends to crack and gets filled with weeds. It needs to be sealed regularly to continue to look great, a costly process if you so not seal it yourself. Concrete surfaces break and stain easily while inter-locking blocks settle with time and become uneven; which is a serious tripping hazard. Do not despair, other options are possible.
Photo by WAYCOOL Homes, LLC
You might have seen the rise of fluoropolymer coating as a new way to cover aging driveways and would like to know more about this product. Made from epoxy, it consists in a synthetic protective film that covers other surfaces, such as concrete. Epoxy makes an excellent surface sealer because it adheres better than other products, like acrylic, to the original surface. When replacing or resurfacing your driveway, you want something strong that will stay in place for many years.
Photo by Signature Stamped Concrete, LLC
Aside from bonding well to a surface, epoxy is nonporous, which means that it will not absorb oil that could leak from your car. The same goes with other chemicals such as gasoline or anti-freeze. Epoxy covered driveways are easier to clean and more resistant against the elements than their concrete counterparts. There are a few options you can explore such as a powerful electric pressure washer, to clear your epoxy covered driveway. You can check reviews online to pick the cleaning tool most suited to your needs. Heavy rains will not damage them and with the various options offered, you can even make it non-slippery or textured. That is not the only choice you have with this product. You can also pick what color you would like, an important advantage when you want to create a harmonious flow from your driveway to your house. Your new driveway will make your homestead look fantastic and your neighbors will envy you.
Although epoxy is mostly used in industrial settings, it is reaching the home owners’ market and will become a significant competitor to other driveway finishes in the years to come. Finally, one of the most appealing quality of epoxy as a sealant is that it is so durable. The mixture, once spread onto your driveway, will last for years to come, without fading or chipping. Something acrylic cannot match as sun rays yellows it. This is an important element to consider when choosing which material to use to seal your driveway as durability will save you money in the long run. You might have to pay a little more when installing it, but you will avoid maintenance and repair costs that can add up quickly, which makes epoxy coating a cost-effective solution.