Variety of options provides range of applications

Home improvements aren't confined to room additions and landscaping. A feature of the home that can have a real impact on its overall appearance is often overlooked. Hint: you're parking on it.

The following Q-and-A article addresses ways to clean, update and revamp a home's concrete driveway and sidewalks.

by Elise Crain

for the Business Journal

My driveway has oil stains from drips and rust stains from my water hose. Is there anything I can do?

Yes. There is a process called "chemical stain." Natural salts and minerals react chemically with the concrete to provide "earthy" colors. Your driveway can be cleaned, stained with the chemicals and sealed. Your stains may still be there, but they will be masked with the new process.

If I seal my concrete, will it be slick?

A penetrating sealer will go into the concrete as well as setting on the surface. There is a skid-resistant compound that can be added into the sealer to create resistance to slipping.

I have a concrete driveway with a few cracks and it looks tired. Is there something I can do?

If there is no elevation (or very little) elevation difference at the cracks, an overlay can be very attractive and use the cracks as part of the pattern. This draws your eye to the beauty.

Overlays can be as thin as one-eighth of an inch, so you do not need to be concerned about water going into your garage from this overlay.

Thin overlays can be one color or can have a pattern and two or more colors. If you have space, a three-eighths-inch overlay can be applied and stamped so it can look like brand new.

For this overlay to bond properly, the concrete must be clean and the pores open. Some stains will prevent a proper bond. A concrete professional must look at each project.

I am going to add a new concrete driveway and sidewalk. Besides looking great, is there any advantage to stamping the concrete?

Concrete can be colored and stamped at the time it is placed. It can be colored by placing pigment in the concrete truck or by adding color at the time the concrete is placed. Each process has some advantages.

When the colored concrete comes in the truck, it will be consistent all the way through the placement. If you have a chip (such as from some de-icing tool), you could apply sealer, and your concrete would be back to its original color.

When the concrete professional adds color after the concrete comes from the truck, you receive a higher surface strength. The color addition contains pigment and cement so the surface becomes stronger (where the wear is) and is "tighter" so it is harder for dirt and grime to get into the pores of the concrete.

What do you mean, the pores of the concrete? I thought concrete was really hard

Concrete is really hard, but when you look at it carefully, you can see the pores. Look at your driveway and compare it to the floor of your garage.

The concrete professional likely made the garage floor "tighter" and it is more likely to be slippery when it is wet.

Oftentimes your driveway will have a "broom" finish, which keeps you from slipping when you go outside for the newspaper.

This fancy stuff sounds great ... and expensive! I like to do things myself. What can I do?

You can clean and seal your concrete. The first step would be clean. Degrease the concrete, then use a muriatic acid etch (5 to 10 parts muriatic acid with water). The acid etch will open the pores. It is a common opinion that acid etching "cleans" concrete; it opens the pores and then many contaminants in the concrete are flushed away.

When it is dry, you may apply the sealer. Several brands are good.

You want to use a "penetrating" sealer with solids content of less than 20 percent. The sealer will fill the pores and protect the concrete from the inside out.

The sealer will eventually wear off the surface and can be replaced. Traffic will determine when you need to re-seal. Please do not use the acid etch as a regular cleaner.

Should I clean my concrete drive and sidewalk?

If you clean your floors and windows! Concrete is very durable, and a little maintenance will help with appearance and durability.

Simple Green cleaner is a good product, and industrial degreasers work well. I use baking soda and a pressure washer.

Where may I call with other questions?

Ready mix producers and their sales representatives, distributors and suppliers to the concrete industry have extensive concrete education and will respond to your questions.

(Elise Crain is the marketing manager for Increte of the Ozarks.)