Your home's concrete driveway adds a great deal of value and aesthetic appeal to your home, so it is important to keep it well maintained and looking nice. To help keep your driveway lasting as long as 30 years, here are three tasks you can do to your driveway to keep it free of vegetation, in good repair, and clean.

Remove Weed Growth

As your concrete driveway ages, heavy vehicles and freeze-thaw cycles in northern climates can cause your concrete to crack. If you allow any vegetation to begin growing in even the smallest crack, the growth of the plant and its roots can quickly widen the crack. As cracks are allowed to enlarge, the accumulation of dirt inside the crack can provide the right environment for further weed seeds to grow and take root, creating larger cracks and erosion to your concrete. It is a good idea to remove any vegetation growth in cracks and seams so that further damage does not occur.

Any weeds or grass growing within cracks or seams throughout your pavement need to be pulled up and treated with weed control so new weeds don't take root. Hand-pull up any weeds or grasses growing from cracks in your concrete, or use a hand spade to dig them from the crack. Then, use a weed killer, such as Round-up, that will kill all types of weeds and grasses and prevent future growth.

If you don't want to use chemical weed killer, you can apply full-strength, 10 to 20 percent white vinegar into any crack or concrete seam, which will kill any remaining weeds and create an acidic environment to prevent new ones from growing in the same spot. Be sure to wear gloves when you apply the higher percentage white vinegar, as it can burn your skin.

Patch

After you have removed any weeds growing from cracks in your driveway, it is time to patch the cracks. Sweep the debris and dirt from each of the cracks, including any crumbling concrete. To fill a crack three-eights of an inch and smaller, it is best to use a tube of masonry crack filler. Squeeze an amount of the filler into the concrete crack until it's even with the surrounding concrete. Follow the directions on the tube to allow full curing time.

Any cracks that are larger than three-eighths of an inch will need to be patched with a container of pre-mixed concrete repair or from bagged dry concrete mix and water that you mix yourself. Use a trowel to fill the crack to the surrounding surface and smooth it level. Allow this to cure fully.

Clean

Your driveway can easily become spotted with fluids from leaking and dripping vehicles. Unfortunately, this can leave your driveway covered in oil, brake fluids, and antifreeze, which can all leave stains on your concrete's surface. Because your concrete is a porous material, spilled fluids can penetrate into its holes to leave behind a stain that can be difficult to remove. Depending on how quickly your driveway becomes stained, it is important to periodically clean its surface.

For any oil and grease spots on your driveway, you will need to first soak up any standing oils from the concrete. Do this by sprinkling a layer of cat litter over the oil and letting it sit 12 to 24 hours. Then, sweep up the cat litter with a broom and apply a second layer of cat litter onto the stain. Use your foot to rub the cat litter into the stain to pull up any additional oil. Next, to remove any remaining oil stain and to clean off any other vehicle fluid stains, apply a degreaser onto each stain, then scrub at it with a cleaning brush to lift up the remaining stain. You can also use dish soap and water to scrub remaining stains.

Use this information to help you keep your concrete driveway well maintained and clean. For more information, contact a paving contractor at a company like Bill Mariotti Site Development Co Inc.