http://www.elitecreteaustralia.com.au Although, decorative concrete maintenance is minimal there are a few measures that need to be taken periodically to ensure that your concrete patio, walkway, driveway or pool deck will last a lifetime.

1. Although decorative concrete maintenance is minimal there are a few measures that need to
be taken periodically to ensure that your concrete patio, walkway, driveway or pool deck will
last a lifetime.
Simply hosing down your decorative concrete driveway once a week is a simple preventive
maintenance step that can add years to your decorative concrete driveway. Also, using a stiff
bristled broom can often be enough to dislodge any foreign particles from the surface.
In more extreme cases, a thorough pressure washing may be necessary to give the concrete
surface a good deep clean, removing any debris that may have worked their way deep down
into the pores of the concrete slab. 1200 psi is enough pressure to remove any foreign matter
that has been locked into the surface, anymore then this amount could cause potential issues
with delamination of the surface.
Do not place potted plants directly on the surface; instead they should be placed on either a
plant stand or on a plate. If this step is ignored, the potential for plant fertilizers to discolour the
concrete surface is high.
Take note of any cleaning solutions that you use on the surface. Any product that has a high
acidic content should be diluted down or not use at all and immediately rinsed off the surface
after use. Ammonia based products should be avoided all together.
If tree sap and other sticky material is a problem and leaving frequent deposits on your
concrete overlays and a pressure washer will not remove them, you may have some success
with the use of Goo Gone or Dissolve It. Tire skid marks can be removed with carburetor
cleaner as well as left over asphalt stains.
Finally, all decorative concrete surfaces should be sealed to prevent foreign matter build up.
One must keep in mind that concrete is a porous material filled with millions of tiny channels
that have the potential to be filled with foreign matter. Therefore all exterior concrete surfaces
should be sealed prior to being opened up to traffic. At some point in the future you will need
to schedule a reseal of your custom concrete. These sealers not only protect your surface from
build-up of grime, they also help to shield from the harmful UV rays.
Increasing slip resistance is also a common concern and can easily be accomplished by adding
an aggregate to the concrete sealer.