Driveway Maintenance Starts With Prevention

When you drive past a property for the first time, the first impression that the property affords you is referred to as “curb appeal”. Within the real estate world, people consider this to be very important in the sales process. Let’s face it, we all tend to make snap judgments and those first impressions are important. It doesn’t matter whether we are meeting somebody or viewing an inanimate object, such as a house. The grounds of your house give an important first impression, and you must make sure that your driveway maintenance is up to date.

In the world of real estate it often doesn’t matter what the inside of the property looks like if the outside has already given a bad impression. Often a would-be suitor will turn the other way if he or she does not like the look of the grounds. Whilst a lawn can be cut quite easily the paved areas of your grounds take a little more work, so you should be sure to always keep up with your driveway maintenance.

There are many products available on the market to assist you with your driveway maintenance problem. For example, when you are looking to remove stains consider using regular laundry or dish washing detergent. Sprinkle the product over the stained area and let stand before scrubbing with hot water. People often turn to bleach as a solution for serious cleaning problems, but you should be careful using this powerful chemical without dilution and anywhere near a drainage system.

A commercially available product called dry sodium phosphate has been specifically designed for concrete stain removal. You might not want to consider this for driveway maintenance, however, as this harsh chemical can leave an impression.

When it comes to driveway maintenance the use of detergents or chemicals to treat existing stains involves a considerable amount of hard labor. Whilst the chemicals may penetrate the stain you will still have to apply scrubbing action, followed by a rinse and probably a repeat. Not for the frail or fainthearted!

Pressure cleaning can be used for driveway maintenance, if you do not want to use chemicals. However, a trip to the rental company will probably be necessary as most people do not have these units in a garage. Many advocate that you should hire a professional to help you with this, but if you don’t, be careful using the product and never point at any windows, doors, animals or other people.

Remember that absorbent mats can be placed underneath your vehicles and this will help you avoid the considerable time, money and effort that you would otherwise have to spend on your driveway maintenance. The mats are designed to absorb a host of different liquids including the oils that are likely to leak from your cars, are made in a variety of different sizes and can be cut according to your requirements.

If you catch the problem before it takes place, driveway maintenance can be quite simple. The absorbent mat is made from polypropylene and has a base cover that will not leak and allow contents to seep to the surface beneath. These items may be washed and then replaced and will help to keep your driveway stain-free, maintaining your property’s “curb appeal”.