Concrete driveway sealing in Pittsburgh
A concrete driveway sealer is cheap insurance against salt and freeze-thaw damage. A good one keeps water out of the top of the slab, and that's the best way to stop surface scaling. It's a job for concrete sealers, not the black coating used on asphalt.
Choosing a concrete driveway sealer
A concrete driveway sealer, or cement driveway sealer, either sits on the slab or soaks into it, and each type has its place. On most Pittsburgh driveways, we recommend the penetrating kind.
| Sealer | Look | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Silane or siloxane | Invisible, with no shine | Plain driveways, salt protection, slopes |
| Acrylic | A wet look or a sheen | Stamped and colored concrete |
| Epoxy or urethane | A thick, shiny coating | Garage floors, not outdoor slabs |
When to seal a new driveway
New concrete has to cure and dry before a sealer goes on, so give it about 28 days, or more in cool weather. If your driveway is poured late in the year, you may do best to seal it the next spring, and keep deicers off it in that first winter. Otherwise, late spring or early fall are good times, with dry days above 50 degrees and no rain coming.
You'll know it's time to reseal when water stops beading and starts soaking in. On most driveways, that's every three to five years with a penetrating sealer, or every two to three with an acrylic.
Sealer will not fix a bad slab
Sealing keeps good concrete good, but it won't stop a slab that's already scaling badly, and it won't close wide cracks. Those should be repaired first. Read about driveway crack repair for how we prepare a slab before sealing it. If you have an asphalt driveway, you need a sealcoating company rather than us.
How the job goes
- Check the slab
We look at the surface, cracks and joints.
- Wash
Dirt, oil and old loose sealer come off.
- Repair
Cracks and joints are filled.
- Seal
Sealer goes on evenly in the right conditions.
- Dry
Stay off it until it has cured.
Common questions
Should I coat my driveway?
Sealing a concrete driveway is worth it here, because salt and frost are hard on bare concrete.
How often should you seal concrete slab?
Every three to five years outdoors with a penetrating sealer, or when water stops beading on the surface.
How often should you seal concrete sidewalk?
About as often as a driveway. Walks near the street get more salt, so check them more closely.
How long before you can walk on concrete after sealing?
Usually a few hours, and a day or two before you drive on it. Follow the label for your product.
How long before you can walk on concrete sealer?
Often four to eight hours on a warm, dry day, and longer if it's cool or humid.
More driveway services
- concrete driveway installation
- concrete driveway replacement
- concrete driveway repair
- concrete driveway resurfacing
- stamped concrete driveway
- exposed aggregate concrete driveway
- driveway trench drain
- driveway drainage
- driveway apron
- driveway crack repair
- sunken driveway repair
- driveway extension