Concrete driveway help

[Scott Neumann]

How long should I let my new concrete driveway dry out? I live in the Pacific NW, and it has been in the 70's to 90's since it has been laid. I have heard that a month is about standard. I have no coloring, stains or sealers on it, yet. Can I drive my car on it into the garage, which was not re-done? It will be 3 weeks on Friday since it was poured. Also, another ? is what is the best way to seal it after it is "cured" and finished drying out? Is it possible to put a stain on the new concrete before sealing? Also, if I apply stain and sealant, do I have to reapply on a yearly basis or ? Thanks for your help!

[mrcaptainbob]

Hope you were keeping it wet every day. The best is to lightly sprinkle it three times a day. Don't soak, just keep it 'damp'. The longer you keep it damp, the harder it will be. A week of that would be great. After the second week, I'd think it would be okay to drive on it.

[Scott Neumann]

Yes, I did keep it wet only the first week though. So you think I could drive on it after the third week? Also, any suggestions on putting stain and sealant on it? When will it be all dry? Can I tell? The driveway is partially in sun and partially in shade. The shaded areas look like they are still wet underneath, due to the darker area.

[LazyPup]

In the trade when they pour concrete they do a slump test to measure water content prior to the pour and often take a sample of each batch. The samples are allowed to harden 21 days before they do the compression tests. It was explained to me that concrete reaches 90% hardness in 21 days, then it takes over 100 years to reach the 100% hardness state.

[leone184]

As far as staining your concrete, the only stains I know of for residential use also contain a sealer. Both Bruning and UGL make excellent concrete sealer/stains. Read the instructions carefully, they will tell you how long you have to wait for the concrete to cure, and if you need to etch the surface.
Be careful about using the driveway too much before you seal it, any stains or tire marks may not be completely covered.

leone184