Photo: Tomasz Sienicki via CC
Now that winter has passed and spring showers are practically over, it’s the best time to tackle those cracks and potholes in your driveway that seem to get worse each year. The task might sound daunting, but resurfacing your cracked concrete driveway is a pretty straightforward DIY project. Follow these simple steps and you’ll learn how to get it done in no time.
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Clean out the cracks
It’s worth your while to spend some extra time clearing out the existing cracks. Use a pressure washer to flush out debris and try to clear out each crack all the way down to the bottom of the slab. This includes removing grass or any weeds that have made their way inside.
Use a concrete epoxy crack repair product to bond any cracked or broken slabs together. If you skip this step, the cracks will show through the new surface you’re going to apply. This may take an extra day or two in order to allow the epoxy to set, but you’ll be happy you did it when you see the final result. Choose your epoxy based on the depth, width, and cleanliness of the cracks.
Photo: The News Wheel
Cement paint is an age-old trick to get the stucco to bond to the existing cement driveway. Mix pure cement with water until you get the consistency of paint. Spritz your entire driveway with water before applying the cement paint.
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Apply stucco
Apply a thin layer of cement stucco to the driveway immediately following the cement paint application.
Seal the deal
Use a magnesium float to finish the stucco or — if you prefer a more linear pattern — apply a broom finish. Applying a broom finish can be tricky, as you’ll want to make sure the stucco has had exactly the right amount of drying time. If the stucco is too wet, you’ll just have a giant mess. If it’s too dry, the broom’s bristles won’t make an impression to create neat lines.
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While this can certainly be knocked out in a weekend with the help of some friends and pizza, it’s important to make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into. Some home improvement stores offer classes for projects like this and might be worth checking out.
Morgan has lived all over the USA and in Europe. Now residing just outside of Philly, Morgan often spends time at local sporting events, testing the limits of her caffeine tolerance levels, and playing board games with their wife. See more articles by Morgan.
