Why Exposed Aggregate Goes Dull, and How Resealing Brings It Back

Exposed aggregate goes dull because the seal has worn through, not because the concrete has failed. Once the seal is gone, oil, leaf stain and dust work into the cement between the stones and the colour flattens out. A proper clean and two fresh coats of penetrating seal bring most driveways back. Around Sale, plan on a reseal every two to three years, and closer to every 18 months near the Lakes.

Exposed aggregate has been the go-to finish in Sale for years, which means a lot of the driveways we look at now are old enough to be on their second or third seal, or overdue for their first. The good news is that most of them are nowhere near needing replacement. They just need looking after.

What is your driveway telling you?

Different problems look different, and they don't all have the same fix. Here's how to read it.

What does a proper reseal involve?

The sealing itself is quick, usually a half-day on site. The work that decides whether it lasts happens before the first coat.

1. Inspect. Walk the slab, find out what sealer is on there now and whether anything underneath needs fixing first
2. Clean. Wash the surface properly at a sensible pressure. Full bore close up can lift old sealer at the edges and loosen stones
3. Treat. Degrease oil spots, deal with efflorescence and leaf stain, and remove any sealer that has gone milky
4. Dry. The slab has to be properly dry before seal goes on, which around Sale usually means a clear day or two after the clean. Sealing a damp slab is how you get the milky patches in the first place
5. Seal. Two coats of penetrating seal, applied thin and even, with the second going on once the first has soaked in

How often around Sale, the Lakes and the Valley?

Two to three years is the working interval for a driveway in town in Sale. Out toward Paynesville and the Lakes, salt in the air works on the surface faster, so 18 months is a better rhythm there. In Traralgon and the Latrobe Valley, winter frosts put the surface through more freeze and thaw, which is a good reason not to let the seal lapse. A shaded driveway under big trees wants attention sooner than an open one, because leaf stain is constant.

The easy test: pour a little water on the driveway. If it beads or darkens slowly, the seal is still working. If it soaks straight in and the concrete goes dark at once, the seal has gone.

Can you do it yourself?

Sometimes, yes. If the driveway is sound, the old seal is simply worn, and you're happy to spend a weekend cleaning and waiting for it to dry, a DIY reseal with a good penetrating product can be a reasonable call. Where people come unstuck is sealing too soon after a wash, laying the product on too thick, or putting a new sealer over an old one it isn't compatible with. Any of those can leave you with a patchy or milky finish that costs more to fix than the reseal would have.

If there's efflorescence, milky sealer, loose stones or cracking, get it looked at before you buy anything. Those are problems a coat of sealer can hide for a few months and make harder to fix later.

When a reseal won't fix it

A seal protects a sound slab. It won't fix one that has sunk, cracked right through or is breaking up at the edges. If that's what you've got, the honest conversation is about repairing or replacing the affected section, and we'd rather have it before you spend money on sealer.

Get a proper look at it

If your exposed aggregate in Sale, Paynesville, Stratford or anywhere around Gippsland has gone dull, stained or patchy, book a site visit. Nick will tell you whether it needs a clean and reseal, a bit of repair first, or nothing yet, and the written quote will say which. Or give me a call and describe what you're seeing.