Concrete Coating?

[Sonor]

In the south, concrete driveways get molded unless they are coated with something. I am about to (again) pressure wash my driveway and I would like to put a coating on it afterwards to reduce the amount of time and repeats to pressure wash. Here's the question: Is there a coating that will do what I want yet provide traction for the bike and cars? Most seem to put a painted surface on the concrete that makes it slippery when wet. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[greiffster]

Bleach the crap out of it with a cup for every gallon of water. Work it in with a stiff bristle brush. Let it soak for a while. Rinse it off good and wait a couple days until it really drys out and spray on a penetrating concrete sealer.

 

Nothing is going to be permanent, but the sealer should help prolong the return.

[John Ranalletta]

For 35 years, my nephew has owned/operated water/mold damage remediation business in Naples. He dries out walls, etc., eliminates mold, etc, but doesn't do reconstruction.

 

This what he uses on his drive: "The best product to use is Zep Mold & Mildew Stain remover Hope Depot $6.00 gal. Just spray it on & leave it."

 

This is his drive and he lives between two canals w/ likely more moisture than in NC.

 

 

Sounds cheap and less corrosive and damaging than bleach. Hope it works for you.

 

Regarding indoor mold, he says bleach will kill mold but leave the mold structure for new mold to take hold and regrow.

 

[greiffster]

Zep Mold & Mildew Stain Remover is pretty good stuff. But, it's got bleach in it.

[Rougarou]

Whatever sealant you use, drop some roundup in it. A contractor I know does this. He also puts it in grout that goes in a bathroom or wet area.

[Sonor]

Why the roundup?

[OoPEZoO]

to prevent any sort of organic growth (mold, moss, etc...). I've heard of using the mixture before, but I can't honestly say I have read or seen proof that it works.

[Sonor]

Interesting ... I have heard of using tri sodium phosphate but not roundup.

[Mike]

Wet and Forget is a product that you dilute with water and spray on the surface that's getting moldy. It's reactivated with every rainfall. It doesn't yield instant results, but over time it will eliminate the mold. The downside is that it needs to be reapplied every few months. I've found it to be very effective.

[MarkAZ]

I'm skeptical about the Roundup. It doesn't prevent new things from growing, it kills living plants. I believe it's considered a systemic herbicide. You can spray it on stuff and it will kill it but you can then plant new stuff without a problem. I doubt it would be effective for mold, etc, prevention.

[lkraus]

I'm skeptical about the Roundup. It doesn't prevent new things from growing, it kills living plants. I believe it's considered a systemic herbicide. You can spray it on stuff and it will kill it but you can then plant new stuff without a problem. I doubt it would be effective for mold, etc, prevention.

 

Plus, rain will wash it off. It needs to remain on the plant until it can be absorbed. Glyphosate (RoundUp) might kill mold, but I don't see that mentioned in the instructions. I've had poor results with it when trying to kill plants with small leaf structures, which is where most absorption takes place.

 

I'd be happy if I could find a better way to just clean large areas of concrete without the pressure washer. The washer seems to remove a thin layer of concrete each time, which can't be good long term. And an effective spray width of a couple inches and thousands of square feet of driveway equate to a multi-day job. I've been leaving it dirty...

 

 

[4wheeldog]

I'm skeptical about the Roundup. It doesn't prevent new things from growing, it kills living plants. I believe it's considered a systemic herbicide. You can spray it on stuff and it will kill it but you can then plant new stuff without a problem. I doubt it would be effective for mold, etc, prevention.

 

I agree.......Some sort of pre-emergent weed preventer would seem more likely to have an effect. Anything that would prevent the mold from getting a foothold in the first place......

[eddd]

 

Mold and algae was a big problem in south Texas on roofing, especially fiberglass shingles. There are various products that could be sprayed on CLEAN shingles to prevent regrowth. You might want to check those out and see if they would work on concrete.

 

If I recall correctly at least some of the products made claims as to their safety when washed off onto plants.

 

I know that zinc will prevent the mold and mildew growth. For a time it was a practice to place strips of zinc along the edges of shingles. Rain would transfer some of the zinc down across the roof preventing the mold. While not useful for your problem, a product that contains zinc might be worth considering.