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Concrete Driveway

Majority of old homes and commercial buildings have concrete driveways because those days drive ways neither needed much of an investment nor was any importance attached to have a great curb appeal. All that was important when it came to driveway was the utility, so either plan concrete or asphalt was the norm.

With the boom in real estate business, every aspect of a home or commercial space has become important and the looks and the utilities plays a vital role in the final price of the property. Apart from this, home owners are using the design and upkeep of the driveways which adds to the aesthetics of their home, as driveways are one of the most prominent things that catches your attention as you enter a property.

Depending on the size and shape of the driveway you have envisaged, you need to make a framework which is the outer border of your planned driveway. The surface of the driveway should be angled away from the home or structure so that rain water flows outward through the slope. The area where you plan to concrete then gets a sub base, which is the bedding on which the concrete is laid. You have to reinforce the surface with steel if you need the area to be stronger. Concrete mix is poured from one end and completes at the other end with a mix ratio of 1:2:3 of cement, sand, and gravel. Concrete is compacted and smoothened by tamping and then with a bull float for final finish. Pervious concrete can be used to reduce rainwater runoff. This can be added as part of the design where water can be allowed to sink through the pervious portion of the driveway.

Driveway

The Different Types Of Driveway Decorations Using Concrete Are Given Below

Stamped Concrete: This technique uses molds of varying shapes which are impacted on semi-dried layer of colored or non-colored cement. The mold is carefully removed and placed next to the impacted design so that its border overlaps. This process is repeated and the final design looks as if the drive way has been cobble stoned or paved. If you add suitable colors to the poured cement, then you can have a driveway that looks paved with stones and colors of your choice.
Concrete Stencils: This is done by first laying rubber stencil of a design of your choice all over the drive way. Then wet cement of suitable color is poured and spread uniformly using a bull float or roller. The cement is left to dry after which the stencil is carefully rolled out. What leaves behind is a contrast color border in the design of the stencil and patches of colored concrete. This work can be done over old concrete driveways without replacing the drive way material.
Concrete Surface Decorations: Here, the top surface of the concrete aggregate is removed and a new coat of wet cement is poured. This cement can be mixed with a pre-selected color so that it can be worked upon in subsequent processes. When the cement is semi dry, other appropriate colors are applied as liquid or power and various methods are used to imprint the design on the surface, like smearing, lining, etching, spotting, etc. This technique can also be applied to renovate old concrete driveways and save you a lot of money.

Sealants are adhesive acrylic resins, applied over the surface decorations, stencils, or stamps to ensure that the color and smoothness is retained for many months. This prevents stains or oils from affecting the texture or color of the concrete surfacing.