- Thursday, April 25, 2024
By: Eastern Eye Staff
Maintaining your home from the inside can be easy. Minor changes and repairs from time to time can keep the area’s energy high. You feel fresh when you enter any room where you may have just changed the lights or replaced old curtains. Suppose you want to have a spa-like experience in your bathroom. It demands very little from your end but produces tremendous results. You can buy a luxury set with unique pressure points and features. Choices can be expensive, mid-range, or affordable based on your bank balance.
Likewise, your kitchen allows you to experiment with small to large things. Suppose your sink area looks tired. Purchasing a farm kitchen sink can be easy, especially if your previous model was also the same design. You don’t need to make any other changes. However, the environment outside the house can be different. Still, maintaining curb appeal and functionality of the various sections is critical. Think about the driveways. Concrete driveways are the most durable and can tolerate any car you drive on them. But your driveway will also age with time and due to overuse. What do you do if it shows such signs? How can you fix this area, so your home’s exteriors look beautiful and well-maintained?
If you have a concrete driveway, you may wonder how to keep it in good shape and what it will cost. Since concrete driveways offer excellent opportunities with textures, patterns, and colors, you may want to have them only. Plus, longevity is another factor. It can be more expensive than gravel or asphalt driveways, but you can recover your invested amount eventually. Let’s address these concerns closely.
Concrete driveway cleaning and sealing
You can prolong the lifespan of your concrete driveway with regular maintenance. Cleaning and sealing can protect it from staining woes and make the surface more attractive. However, these jobs belong to professionals. If you hire this service, your average cost can be around USD $1500. More precisely, it can be anywhere from USD $1250 to USD $1750 for multiple reasons, such as the size of the driveway, use of the cleaning technique, choice of sealer, etc.
Area size
A professional company can charge around USD $1.50 per square foot to seal new concrete. The cost will increase depending on the larger space. Since driveways tend to be expensive, you can deem this cost higher. Concrete patio areas may demand less, though. With size, you can also factor in the age of the driveway surface. Resealing prices will be higher than applying a seal to the new concrete surface. Old surfaces require more hard work in terms of preparation and cleaning. Due to this, charges add up. Nevertheless, the smaller driveway can cost less, but your contractor may charge a flat rate for this to keep things simple. If the concrete develops cracks, the professional company will take care of this before sealing the surface.
Cleaning style
Prepping the surface for sealing at an affordable price can be possible if you use household supplies for sweeping and mopping. You can do it yourself to reduce your professional services cost. However, the situation will be different if the driveway suffers severe staining challenges. Mold and deep-seated dirt can be difficult to remove with standard household tools. You may have to rent a power washer. Plus, stubborn oil stains may require some other cleaning solutions. If you are ready to perform these tasks, your final cost will be much lower. Still, it’s better to be realistic about what you can or cannot do.
Sealing material
Wide varieties are available. That’s why you can find it overwhelming to decide on one option. After all, sealers have their benefits, demerits, and price points. One of the most affordable options can be acrylic sealers. They cost around USD $0.85 to 1.15 per sq ft. These are suitable for indoor and outdoor use. On the higher side of the pricing, you get polyurethane sealers, which may cost you USD $0.95 per sq ft. It’s the starting range. The upper end can be USD$ 1.10 per sq ft. You can rely on this for your driveway for its tolerance for temperature fluctuations. Some people opt for expensive epoxy sealers that create a high-quality, glossy feel. You can get its impact for USD $3 and USD $7 per sq ft.
When estimating your driveway sealing budget, please add the cost for the number of layers that will go into the surface. Some sealers need more coats, and their performance can be at par. A concrete driveway will require more coats to stay safe from abuse and natural elements. On average, two coats of sealers can be more than enough to revive the driveway’s look. The first coat will fade into the concrete and can look uneven. With the second coat, the surface can get its desired glossy finish. In essence, the cost of the sealing job will increase with the number of coats you apply to the surface.
Concrete treatment
Some concrete driveways may need sealing and not repairing. But chipped and cracked surfaces require rectification before the sealer. Otherwise, the seal can break soon. Small cracks and dents can be easy to manage with DIY concrete repair kits. However, leveling job demands professional intervention, and they can charge about USD $60 per sq ft. Severely damaged surfaces may need repouring, which will be expensive also because of the amount of space that needs treatment. You can expect the replacement and repouring cost to be around USD $1-3k, covering 200 sq ft of concrete. Concrete driveways require a budget of about USD $1800 to USD $6000 for replacement and rebuilding.
Labor charges
Contractors usually ask for USD $1.25 to USD $1.75 per sq ft to seal the area. It will be sans any repair. The actual charges may vary based on the use of the sealer type. Also, large spaces cost more because of the requirements for more materials. But labor costs become affordable. Smaller areas with accessibility issues can increase the price. Some companies charge a small fee for smaller square footage.
Nevertheless, the driveway is a virtual extension of your house and needs proper attention. Calculate cleaning, sealing, and repairing costs well to understand your options.
