Just had a new driveway installed yesterday. Should I keep in cool daily with cold water?
Question:Does it make any difference? How long should I wait to seal it?
Answers:
First...you should know that concrete does NOT DRY...it CURES, through a process called hydration. The rate at which water evaporates from the concrete will determine how strong it becomes, so YES it makes a difference...but the temperature of the water is less important than keeping it wet. If you have plastic...spray it down, and cover it with plastic. This will ensure the concrete CURES correctly. The longer the surface is wet...the better the concrete will cure. Concrete can cure for 50 years or more if it is adequately hydrated. The longer it cures...the stronger it will be. As far as sealing it, I don't know if your installers "broomed" the drive. If there are tiny grooves or ridges in your driveway, I wouldn't bother with sealing it. The installers should have put "control joints" in the concrete, in order to "control" where the concrete will crack. (ALL concrete cracks eventually...a control joint just allows an out-of-sight place for this to occur...e.g. cracks in a sidewalk...those are control joints)...If you're having hot, sunny days...yes, I recommend spraying the drive down, and covering it with clear plastic if you have it. The longevity and strength of the drive will depend on it.
If it's concrete, you should water it so it doesn't dry too quickly, which can cause cracking. If it's asphalt, here's a great link for you on caring for your new driveway.
http://www.bramon.com/care_and_feeding_o...
Probably a waste of water to hose it down. If it's real hot where you are, just stay off it with vehicle traffic for longer... usually, it is fairly safe in a couple of days but the longer the better. If you are just driving over it to get to the garage and always park in the garage; a couple of days is good. If you park right on the driveway, give it as much time as you can to cool and firm up. It needs to sit a year before sealing.
You said "seal" it. So that means it is asphalt. No need to hose it down. I'd wait at least two days to drive on it. You should wait two weeks before you have it sealed.
Sounds like you have an asphalt driveway. You can help it set up quicker by applying water. You aren't suppose to apply sealer for at least one year.
If this is a concrete driveway. No water. You can seal it with concrete sealer. It takes 28 days for concrete to cure. If you seal it it helps extend the curing time and making the concrete stronger.
If it is concrete as I suspect it is you can seal it the next day before everybody tracks dirt or whatever all over it. I would suggest a product called kureand seal you can buy it at your local concrete and masonry supplier. Seal it once a year after that. roll it on with a paint roller for an even coat dont use a sprayer. good luck
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