Curing & care

The first 24 hours

Stay off it. The surface is finished but has almost no strength, and footprints, pet prints and dropped tools at this stage are permanent. Keep sprinklers off it and keep it shaded from direct afternoon sun where practical.

If we have covered the slab or applied a curing membrane, leave that in place — it is holding moisture in, which is what builds strength.

Days 1 to 7 — the part that matters most

Concrete gains most of its strength in the first week, and it needs moisture to do it. A slab that dries out early is permanently weaker and more prone to surface dusting and cracking than one kept damp. In Queensland heat this is the single biggest variable.

Foot traffic is generally fine from 24 to 48 hours. Keep vehicles, trailers, skips, scaffolding and heavy furniture off entirely. Do not wash, scrub, acid-clean or pressure-clean the surface.

Days 7 to 28 — easing back into use

Light vehicles — a car, a ute — are usually fine from around seven days. Heavy vehicles, loaded trailers, concrete trucks, tip trucks, skip bins and machinery should wait the full 28 days, at which point the slab has reached its nominal design strength.

Colour continues to lighten and even out over this period. A slab that looks blotchy at day three usually does not at day thirty. Efflorescence — a white, powdery mineral bloom — can appear and will generally weather off; do not attack it with acid.

Sealing and re-sealing

Decorative finishes are sealed to lock in colour and protect the surface. The seal is a wear layer, and it is meant to be renewed. How often depends on exposure rather than the calendar: a north-facing driveway carrying two cars a day needs it sooner than a shaded patio.

As a working guide: driveways and other trafficked, sun-exposed areas every two to three years; patios, alfresco areas and paths every three to five; shaded or lightly used areas longer. The visible cue is loss of sheen and colour looking dry or chalky rather than saturated. Re-sealing before that point is cheaper than restoring afterwards.

Routine cleaning

Hose it down. For marks, a soft broom and a mild detergent is almost always enough. Rinse thoroughly so detergent does not dry on the surface.

Avoid: acid washes, chlorine or strong bleach left to sit, petrol and solvent spills left unattended, and high-pressure cleaning at close range on a sealed decorative surface — pressure cleaning strips sealer and can etch the colour layer. If you do pressure clean, use a wide fan tip, keep it moving, keep your distance, and expect to re-seal afterwards.

Lift oil and fuel spills promptly with an absorbent — cat litter works — then wash with detergent. The longer a spill sits on a sealed surface, the more likely it is to mark the sealer permanently.

Things that quietly cause damage

Sprinklers hitting the same spot daily, which drives efflorescence and staining. Planter pots sitting directly on decorative concrete, which trap moisture and leave rings. Steel furniture legs left in place through wet weather, which leave rust marks. Salt and pool chemicals splashed and left to dry on an unsealed or over-due surface.

None of these are dramatic. They are just the things that make a five-year-old slab look ten.