What Kind Cement to Use on the Driveway?

Recipe

• Along with the normal ingredients, the recipe for a driveway concrete will usually include water-reducing admixtures and fly ash. These ingredients are added to increase the long-term strength of your driveway, as well as to promote the workability of the poured concrete without adding water. This is important, as a low ratio of water to concrete produces a stronger surface structure.

Thickness

• Your driveway should be a minimum of 4 inches thick. The thickness of a driveway is actually more important than the strength of the concrete mixture. Thickness is the major factor in determining the driveway's structural capacity. This is especially important if your driveway is used to house heavy equipment. By simply increasing the concrete's thickness from 4 to 5 inches, you can increase the structural capacity by 50 percent.

Finish

• There are two basic concrete finishes: hand-troweled and broomed. The hand-troweled finish is commonly used in interior applications where a smoother finish is desired. A broom finish provides a rougher surface. It is commonly used on sidewalks, driveways and other exterior applications where a slip-resistant surface is beneficial. Other decorative finishes are becoming more common, including patterned, dyed and stamped concrete.

Sealing

• Sealing a driveway will not prevent cracks. In general, there are two types of concrete: concrete that is cracked and concrete that will crack. There are many reasons why concrete cracks, including weather, improper design or using too wet of a concrete mixture. However, cracking seldom affects the structural integrity of a driveway. Properly sealing your driveway will protect the surface from water and chemical absorption. This will make your driveway much easier to clean in case of an oil or chemical spill.