Do I Need to Seal My New Concrete Driveway?

It's not necessary to seal a concrete driveway on a regular basis. Just make sure you don't use any products with rock salt when de-icing your concrete driveway in the winter.

LESLIE: Bill in Missouri has a new driveway and needs some help with finishing it. What can we do for you?

BILL: I had a new driveway – concrete driveway – put in.

TOM: Yep.

BILL: And I’m wondering if I need to put some kind of a sealer on that or just leave it like it is. The finish they put on it looks like they used a real stiff broom or something on it and it’s got the lines cut all the way down it on both – all over it, you know.

TOM: Yeah. And that’s designed to give you some traction in the winter so that you don’t slip on it as easily.

I don’t think it’s necessary for you to seal it. If you were to seal it, you would need to make sure you’re using a vapor-permeable sealer. Because what happens with some sealers is the moisture gets trapped underneath of them and then it can’t evaporate out. And it will cause the concrete to spall or crack.

But concrete driveways are not – it’s not necessary to seal them on a regular basis.

BILL: OK.

TOM: Just be cautious with the type of salt that you use to deice. Don’t use anything that has rock salt in it.

BILL: I’ve got a real quick question for you. I had a new deck built in the back and they used pressure-treated yellowwood on it. And I had no idea that the yellow they were talking about was going to be the sap coming out of it.

TOM: OK.

BILL: And I was wondering, is there some kind of a sealer or something that I can do about that?

TOM: Well, when you have a new pressure-treated deck, we generally suggest that you wait about a year before doing this. And then you could apply a solid-color stain to it. If you put a solid-color stain to it, it will cover some of the sap, as well. And frankly, by then, some of it will have already evaporated. You could sand those areas to try to get rid of any big deposits but I would wait about a year and then I would treat it with a good, solid-color, exterior deck stain.

BILL: Oh, OK. Well, I sure appreciate your help.

TOM: New driveway, new deck. You know what to do next. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.