Caring for Concrete Sidewalks

Concrete sidewalks seem to be everywhere. These man made surfaces line city streets, trace parking lots of commercial businesses, and even lead the way through parks and other common areas. Concrete sidewalks are an integral part of many landscapes around residential, business and even public places. It is important then to care for and maintain these surfaces. But what kinds of care might one need for a concrete walking surface? What needs does a concrete sidewalk have that need to be met? In this article, we will take a look at the answers to those questions.

Sidewalk Care & Maintenance

For all the action that these humble surfaces see, it can be easy to overlook some of the basic care and maintenance they need. Sure, occasionally they get washed using pressurized sprayers. But are there better ways to care for these surfaces that could keep them in tip-top shape? Let's look at some ways that concrete sidewalks benefit from being maintained and cared for.

Cleaning Concrete Sidewalks

As we mentioned above, often times, concrete simply gets a power washing treatment. This helps to restore the "fresh" look that the material has when it is first poured. Yet there are concrete cleaning products that can enhance the results. The answer is yes. There are a variety of cleaning and care products that can be used on concrete surfaces to improve the appearance and to keep it looking its best after cleaning. Let's look at some concrete cleaners now.

Professional Concrete Cleaner

Concrete sees a lot of different kinds of dirt. When you think about these surfaces, it is easy to understand why that is the case. Shoes are continually traipsing around, running across, and even dropping things on sidewalks.

These types of dirt require a cleaner that is not only designed to make the appearance look better, but also one that will sanitize the surface as it cleans. An even better option would be a biodegradable sanitizing concrete sidewalk cleaner and that does not harm the environment. This is because the water and the cleaner washes down the drain when the sidewalk is rinsed. However, regular cleaning is merely one aspect of care and maintenance needed for concrete. There are times when another type of product is needed for cleaning sidewalks.

Concrete Sidewalk Stain Removal

Aside form the regular cleaning of concrete surfaces such as sidewalks, there are times when other kinds of discolorations need to be removed. Staining on sidewalks is common because of the amount of use they get.

Exposure to the elements causes unprotected sidewalks to stay moist or damp. Moisture in the pores of concrete can allow moss, mold, or algae to grow and leave the surface looking unsightly.

When mold has formed on the surface of the concrete sidewalk, it can cause the sidewalk to look dingy and in extreme cases even become slippery. To remove mold from a concrete sidewalk you will want to use a mold remover for concrete and other materials.

Protecting Concrete

It doesn't make much sense to spend all the time and effort on cleaning concrete sidewalks and removing mold if they are just going to quickly become dirty and dingy with mold and moss right away. Therefore, protecting the surface of the sidewalk after it is cleaned and any stains have been removed is a key to maintaining and caring for concrete. How can sidewalks be protected?

Concrete Sidewalk Sealers

There are a number of concrete sealers that can be used to protect concrete sidewalks from moisture and make them easier to clean. For example, there are water based sealers and there are solvent based sealers. Using concrete sealers to protect sidewalks means that they are easier to clean the next time.

Sealed concrete sidewalks also resist the growth of mold, moss and other organisms that can stain and discolor the surface. By preventing water from getting into the pores of the sidewalk you increase the time between cleanings and keep concrete surfaces looking better longer.

As we have seen, caring for and maintaining concrete sidewalks can be much easier when the proper cleaning and sealing products are used to treat them.