Any time you put down concrete, you’re making a serious investment. The first concrete road in American was built in 1909 in Detroit. It was only a mile long, and it cost the city nearly $13,500! Today, the paving industry in America employes 284,62 people working in over 195,000 businesses. We have a lot of asphalt and concrete surface that need concrete maintenance if they’re to stay in good shape and continue to provide value to drivers and communities. Here’s why concrete maintenance is so important and how to do it.

1. Money is lost when surfaces aren’t smooth. The Road Information Program has estimated that bad roads are costing America’s drivers an estimated $400 in damage per vehicle, per year. And that’s just loses from actual damage. Sweden recently did a study that found smooth roads result in 10% less fuel consumption for motor vehicles than rough roads. Pavement dangers to your vehicles doesn’t just come from roads, either. Private driveways are a huge issue, as well.
2. It costs less to maintain than to replace. If you keep your pavement smooth with concrete maintenance, sidewalk repair, and regular seal coating, you can expect it to live 10% to 25% longer. Concrete maintenance is more than just fixing problems after they arise. It’s also about keeping costs down in the first place. It’s a lot less expensive to maintain your pavement than to fix it.
3. It’s easy to see when you need to do some concrete maintenance. What you’re looking for is loose gravel, potholes, trip hazards that have just come up, extensive cracks, and oxidation. Anything like that means you need some preventative maintenance. Even if you don’t see any issues, regular surface sealing is crucial to keep them from cropping up.
4. It’s easy to find companies that can do preventative maintenance. Whether you need to patch holes, repair a trip hazard, seal joints and cracks, or do a seal of the whole surface to keep water, salt, and air out of your pavement, there are accomplished and experienced concrete maintenance companies available in your area. It only takes a little time to research a good one, and you’ll be on your way to keeping your concrete looking good and serving you well for years to come.
5. There are things you can do yourself. Concrete maintenance is not just calling in professionals all the time. There are some things you can do to make sure you pavement stays in good shape.
   1. Get the right stuff. When you first lay down your pavement, make sure you’re getting the right mix design for your climate and needs.
   2. Protect it correctly. There are many enemies that can destroy your concrete, from water to chemical spills, mechanical damage from heavy vehicles, to environmental wear from sand, ice, snow, and acid rain. This means putting down the right protective coating from the beginning; it also means cleaning up any spill immediately, whether that’s tire marks, grass clippings, or fertilizers.
   3. Re-coat the surface, whatever it looks like. If things are looking good, you might think you can skip this step. That’s not the case. You pavement looks good precisely because it has a good coating. Re-apply every five years so it will stay that way.

Your concrete serves you well and protects your yard, your vehicles, and even your family. Take good care of it with the right concrete maintenance to ensure it has the longest life you can get from it.