How often should you seal your driveway? Concrete Driveway Sealing, Yearly Maintenance and Repair - article by MODE CONCRETE in Kelowna BC

Applying concrete sealers are an essential part of finishing any concrete outdoors. Protect your concrete driveway and patio from weather, staining, oil/gas, salt, and water by making sure you have a surface barrier on your concrete.

Here is a picture of a concrete driveway we recently repaired and sealed in Kelowna BC.  

How often should you seal your driveway?

• Everyone has something different to say about how often to seal your driveway. Some say every 3-5 years, whereas others say every year. The determining factor here should be what sort of weather or climate zone your concrete is exposed to. Environmental factors, rain, snow, freeze/thaw zones, or high sunshine areas should be taken into consideration. If your driveway is exposed to freeze/thaw zones and lots of sunshine or heat (like the weather here in the Okanagan) your driveway might require re-sealing and maintenance every other year. If you salt your driveway or notice your sealer is deteriorating, you might have to reseal yearly.  If you ever notice cracks or chips, you should fix these problems immediately.  If damaged concrete is left unrepaired, water can seep into the cracks this will quickly deteriorate the concrete.  
• Properly maintaining your concrete saves money in the long run. Make sure you have a protective barrier on your concrete to get the maximum longevity of your investment.

Here is a picture of a concrete driveway we recently repaired and sealed in Kelowna BC.  

 

Concrete services we offer for driveways, patios or concrete slabs:

• Concrete cleaning 
• High power pressure washing
• Concrete maintenance
• Concrete sealing (for stained concrete, aggregate concrete, or stamped)
• Concrete patching
• Concrete chip and crack repair
• Adding anti-slip surface finishes onto concrete
• Acid staining, eco-based water staining

We always offer expert concrete advice, superior workmanship and never cheap out on the products we use.  We only use the highest quality materials to repair, maintain or seal your concrete.  Whether your concrete is brand new, needs maintenance, or needs some repair... we are here to help.  We walk you through the entire process and continuously get client referrals. People all over the Okanagan put their trust in Mode Concrete to get the job done right, with long term results.  We always offer free written estimates to our inquiring clients.  We only use the best skill and best products available on the market.

CONTACT us today for any of the services we discuss in this blog.

Contemporary Polished Concrete Floors - naturally treated and buffed by MODE CONCRETE in Kelowna BC

Our contemporary polished concrete floors are the perfect option for any indoor or outdoor space. Polished concrete is often used in many areas like: art galleries, shopping malls, warehouses, retail environments as well many residential or industrial properties.  Basically we finish and buff the floor to give it a stunning finish. Our entire process is VOC (Volatile organic compounds) and emission free, an entirely non-toxic and safe process.

We can help you with maintenance, refinishing and rewaxing your existing concrete floor. When we finish your floor it will come to life... in a non-toxic, eco-friendly, inexpensive kinda way. We can help to restore and bring out the natural raw color of your concrete floor, original patinas and mottled beauty marks. We love concrete for this very reason. This floor was a raw, natural, basement concrete floor, untreated contractors concrete. We prepared and cleaned the concrete, and completed our finishing process to create this look.  We dig it... do you?

Client feedback about this polished concrete floor: We used Gareth to seal and polish our concrete floor and it turned to be a fantastic looking and economical alternative verse other floor finishes. Highly recommended. Regards, Gavin B. Sparg

Concrete Floor Maintenance, Care and Cleaning: Concrete is fairly simple to take care of. You can dry or wet mop (use warm water when mopping), sweep, or vacuum to remove small debris on a weekly basis. Use PH-neutral, non-acidic natural cleaners to ensure nothing strips the sealers and waxes.  Then once every few years you will have to apply a moisture barrier sealer and waxes.  Maintenance and refinishing, totally depends on wear and tear and the client's preference.  Some customers like a pristine highly reflective concrete floors, while others like an industrial, high patina, raw surface look.

Contact us for a free no obligation written estimate. Mode Concrete is highly knowledgeable and can discuss your requirements and advise the best option that suits your needs.

Contemporary, Modern Polished Concrete Floor Screams Style - by MODE CONCRETE in Kelowna, BC

Concrete shakes off its cold reputation by combining brilliant innovations, cutting edge applications and new techniques.  Concrete works perfectly in residential, commercial, industrial, indoor, or outdoor applications.  So totally versatile.  

Concrete floors work in any room of the house, not just in the basement.  More and more clients are opting for concrete.  Concrete lovers want their space to scream style in a subtle, understated, elegant sort-of-way. And if you’re worried about it looking too industrial, you can easily soften it with punches of color, rugs, textiles and by mixing in warmer materials like wood planks. 

Here is a recent commercial concrete floor that we refinished for the Kelowna client.  This floor had tile on previously.  Once the tile was stripped and the concrete was cleaned up, this was the final product after our process was complete.  We love the extra variations that this floor has compared to a brand spanking new floor.  It already looks industrial and has lots of natural patinas and mottling mixed throughout the surface. 

If you want ultra-modern style and major design impact, consider concrete floors - the flooring for the stylish at heart.  Concrete floors give a super-modern look, industrial look - and like freckles, concrete floors help to camouflage wear as it gets older.  With concrete we embrace and look forward to variations, irregularities, and the patina that develops with wear over time.

Concrete Flooring Benefits:

• STYLISH - Undeniably gorgeous, original, one of kind and a piece of art. 
• LONGEVITY - Excellent longevity of investment when compared to other materials available on the market.  If done right, concrete will outlive you.
• ENERGY EFFICIENCY - Concrete floors can help you save energy. They feel cooler in the summer, so there is less of a need to use air conditioning. During the winter, concrete floors absorb the heat from the sun, helping to keep your home warm. For those with radiant-heated floors, concrete is the best flooring surface to maximize heat conduction and minimize energy usage. Some worry that a concrete floor will be cold and hard on their feet. The truth is that finished concrete floors are no colder or hard-feeling as other common flooring types like ceramic tiles, stone and marble.
• SUSTAINABILITY - Using concrete floors helps to minimize waste, unlike other types of flooring, such as carpet, which creates waste from padding and carpet scraps. Also, concrete does not contain the harmful VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that many synthetic carpets do.
• NON-SLIP SURFACE - Especially with an added glossy finish, you would think concrete floors would be slippery. But the truth is that as long as your floor is installed by a professional, it should not be slippery. Standard practice and appropriate top coats, ensure that a non-slip additive is applied to the final finish of the floor.
• DURABILITY - If they are properly installed and maintained, concrete floors rarely need replacement and there is virtually no maintenance with concrete floors.  
• LOW MAINTENANCE - Maintenance is simple. Just vacuum or sweep and follow up with a damp mop. The amount of traffic your floors receive will determine the amount of maintenance it will need. A concrete floor with normal traffic will probably need a reapplication of the finish every 2-3 years. Keep in mind that concrete is the most abrasive-resistant and durable floor. 
• COST - Some considerations; size of job, detail (is it a basic application of stain or dye or more detailed design), preparation requirements, time frame, products and materials used (hardware store brand or professional grade) and finally, the experience level of the installer (a more experienced professional concrete artist/craftsman will charge more).

Contact MODE CONCRETE for more details about any services we discuss in our blog.  Did you know we only operate of referrals and recommendations?  We make sure our past clients are always happy, research it... we dare you.