Everyone wants the front of their house to look good, but sometimes it’s not as simple to do as the interior of your house meaning the exterior can often be neglected. These mistakes may not seem important to some people, but when considering that the front of the house is the first thing that a buyer will see, it’s a small issue to think about. Read how painting your driveway could help.
Every home owner, especially those who are selling their homes, should pay attention to the curb appeal of their home, as that’s one of the things that will significantly increase your home value. One of the things we recommend doing that won’t break the bank, is painting your driveway. Not only will your house look nicer, but a fresh coat of paint will also reduce concrete cracking and chipping, meaning that the driveway will last longer.
There are some things that you’ll need to know if you want to do the job properly and achieve the maximum effect. Most of them are quite easy and don’t need any professional skills, so there’s no excuse for not doing them! Here’s what you need to do to achieve your freshly painted driveway.
Prep The Surface
Before you apply a fresh coat of paint, make sure that the surface is clean, using either a leaf blower, a broom or a brush. Once you’ve removed all of the surface dirt from the driveway, give it a good wash using a pressure washer. If some stains remain, apply a degreaser and follow the manufactures instructions.
Once the driveway is completely dry, inspect it for cracks before painting it. Ideally you need dry weather and preferably a couple of warm days. Needless to say it would be very unwise to pick a day when rain or snow is expected.
Dealing With Cracks
It is quite common for many driveways to not have been repaired for some time, which means there are likely to be some dents, chips or cracks. You need to remove any small pieces from holes, which you might need a hammer for. Once you’ve done this use a wire brush to crack the surface before switching on the leaf blower again.
Repairing Cracks
If a crack is small then you can use a concrete repair caulk, fill the hole and smooth the caulk. On the other hand, a bigger hole should be filled with a premixed mortar, once the surface is dry, make sure that it is smooth and level.
Finally – Painting Time
Follow the instructions for preparing and applying the selected epoxy paint. We suggest you use a nap roller to distribute the first coat thinly and evenly across small sections of the surface. Make sure the section edges overlap, so that you get a seamless paint coat.
You might also want to use quality line marketing paint to mark the edges of the driveway. That’s enough for the day! You can leave your driveway to dry overnight before you apply the second coat the next day.
Tips
It is best to avoid walking across a freshly painted driveway for at least 24 hours. Try to park your car somewhere else for the next few days. Otherwise there will be smears all over your driveway. The longer you allow epoxy paint to dry, the better the results. Naturally apart from the equipment mentioned, you’ll also need appropriate protective clothes and goggles whilst working on this project.
Should you not feel comfortable carrying this out, then you can always turn to a professional who will do it for you. Alternatively, you may feel that your driveway is past a spruce up and that you need a brand new driveway installation, there are lots of driveway installers out there who will ensure you receive a quality driveway installation.
Share Your Pictures With Promain!
We are always keen to see your results, and with your permission, we may even use them on our web site! Send your before and after pictures to: [email protected]
Should you have any questions regarding driveway paint, our Technical Team are available Monday to Friday with helpful advice. You can call them on 01462 421333.
