Broom Finish Concrete Driveway: Best Anti Skid Option
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Is Broom Finish Concrete Driveway Slippery?
Broom Finish Concrete Driveway is not slippery. Using a broom to roughen up the otherwise smooth surface is the easiest and most economical way to make a concrete driveway skid resistant.
Once the concrete is poured within the driveway forms it is spread around with a shovel or rake. A straight board is used to Screed and level the concrete. The wet concrete is then Floated, using a darby or a bull float, to level the ridges and embed the protruding aggregates.
Edging and Joint Grooving can be done after the bleed water dissipates. The concrete is now ready to be finished. The most common finishing process is trowelling. Trowelling brings the concrete cream to the top so that the slab gets a smooth surface.
There are several alternative concrete driveway finishes, such as broom finish, stamped concrete, exposed aggregate, etc. A Broom Finish Concrete Driveway does lose some of its aesthetic appeal but it has terrific skid resistance. The degree of roughness and therefore the level of skid resistance depends on the type of broom used and the pressure applied.
Stamping gives the concrete driveway stunning looks but does not increase skid resistance. Exposed Aggregate Finish not only makes the driveway look beautiful, it also makes it skid resistant.
Is Trowel Finish Concrete Slippery?
Yes. Trowel Finish concrete driveway is slippery. The concrete cream, which is cement and fine sand, rises to the top during the trowelling process. Trowelling flattens out the ridges and rough spots. The end result is an extremely smooth concrete surface.
A smooth concrete surface looks pretty neat and is easy to clean & maintain. On the flip side, a smooth concrete driveway offers little traction to car tires. A smooth trowel finish is therefore slippery.
The slipperiness of trowel finish concrete driveway increases when it is sealed with a topical sealer. Rain, snow and ice can make a smooth driveway even more treacherous. Speed, slopes and curves add to the hazard.
What Causes Slippery Concrete?
Macrotexture
Smoothness of the concrete driveway surface is the primary cause that makes it slippery. The skid resistance of a driveway, sidewalk or road is correlated to the macrotexture of the surface.
Sand Patch Test (ASTM E965-15 – Standard Test Method for Measuring Pavement Macrotexture Depth Using Volumetric Techniques) is a way to do this.
A standard quantity of fine sand is placed on the surface and spread in an even circle. The sand fills each crack and crevice, till it can be spread no more.
The diameter of the circle is a measure of macrotexture and therefore the skid resistance. The smaller the circle diameter, the rougher and more skid resistant the concrete surface is.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning reduces a driver’s ability to steer and brake. The car loses traction because of the thin water film between the tire and the driveway.
Hydroplaning is like being on a jet ski, except that you are in a car on a road, not a jet ski on a lake!
Hydroplaning is caused by a combination of surface type, amount of water on the surface, tire design, car speed and weight.
Reduced Friction
Any coating or contaminant on the concrete driveway that reduces friction, will increase its slipperiness.
Topical sealers remove friction and make concrete driveways more slippery. However, they are necessary to protect the concrete from water penetration and degradation. Friction can be reintroduced by adding a non-skid agent (powdered aluminum oxide) to the sealer.
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The Best Sealers for Your Concrete Driveway or Patio
A topical sealer is essential for protecting concrete surfaces from water permeation that can damage the concrete from within and compromise its lifespan.
I highly recommend Foundation Armor Concrete Sealers. Pick the one that best meets your aesthetic and application preference.
Oil slicks on a concrete driveway will make it extremely slippery. Oil and grease have higher viscosity and the molecules stick more to each other than to the concrete surface. Tires lose their grip on the concrete driveway when they encounter an oil patch.
Ice formation on the concrete driveway will also reduce the friction between the car tires and the concrete driveway. It’s not the smoothness of ice that makes it slippery, but the thin layer of water that forms on the surface as the ice melts.
Cleaning solutions, if not properly rinsed can leave behind a soapy residue that is slippery, especially when wet.
Bottom Line
The bottom line is that Broom Finished Concrete Driveway is your best option if you want a concrete driveway that is not slippery and does not break the bank.
Smooth Finished Concrete Driveway looks good and Stamped Concrete Driveway looks gorgeous. But they can be slippery, especially when wet.
Exposed Aggregate Concrete Driveway has impressive looks and is skid resistant but is very expensive.
Thank you very much for reading this post. I do hope you found it informative and helpful.