How to Resurface a Concrete Driveway

Concrete is a durable and affordable type of surface to add to your home’s driveway or near your garage, but it will break or wear out over time so it is best if you know how to resurface a concrete driveway so that it will last longer. You can purchase a polymer-based resurfacer for cement that you find in any home improvement store. This will be used to cover up the cracks or any unsightly damage on your driveway that you encounter. The process is easy and simple, but may take a while to complete. You will normally spend around one hour in order to resurface an area of 60 square feet. So a typical 500 square feet driveway will take you around eight hours to accomplish.

Below are the materials that you need along with the instructions on how to resurface a concrete driveway.

Step 1 - Clean the Area

Make sure you clean your driveway in preparation to the resurfacing process. It is important that you clear the cracks or dents on your driveway that you will be filling with the resurfacer. Allow the area to dry for a few minutes before proceeding.

Step 2 - Apply Concrete-repair Caulk

Take a caulking gun and apply some concrete-repair caulk inside the cracks or damaged areas of your concrete driveway. This will only apply to cracks that are 1/2 inches wide or bigger. Use a putty knife to smooth out the concrete-repair caulk such that it is level with the surface of the driveway.

Step 3 - Mix Concrete Resurfacer

Take your concrete resurfacer and mix it with water to create a batter-like consistency. A 20 pound bag of resurfacer will need about 2 and 1/2 quarts of water to create the right texture. Add more water as needed if your resurfacer comes out a little dry or too thick. Use a power drill mixing paddle to mix the resurfacer for about two minutes. This will make enough to cover an area of about 60 square feet.

Step 4 - Apply the Concrete Resurfacer to Driveway

Use a flat steel trowel. Apply and spread the mixed concrete resurfacer to your concrete driveway. It should distributed equally until you have a covered surface that is about 1/16 inches in thickness. The resurfacer dries quickly, so make sure that you apply the concrete resurfacer on your driveway within the 30 minutes of mixing it with water. If you need more concrete resurfacer, simply mix up some more to cover the areas that need it.

Step 5 - Add Texture If Desired

You can add a little texture to your concrete driveway by using a wet broom to sweep over the surface of the wet concrete resurfacer. This will break the smooth and flat surface of the resurfacer. Once dried, will look a lot more natural. You have just learned how to resurface your concrete driveway.