We simply received again from an extended weekend within the south west that ended up being unintentionally unplugged once I found our lodging didn’t have reception. Well. That was alarming. How am I presupposed to chill out with out watching Tiktoks of animals who suppose they’re people? I ought to have paid extra consideration when our lodging’s on-line description mentioned it felt like going again in time to the 70s… they weren’t exaggerating. You don’t realise how a lot you utilize your telephone till you possibly can’t. Even enjoying what needs to be a peaceable night sport of Scrabble grew to become an existential problem. “That’s not a word.” “Yes it is.” “No it’s not, you cheat” “It’s a word, Google it” “I CAN’T WE DON’T HAVE RECEPTION WHY DID YOU BRING US HERE” and so forth.
Well, after our unplugged household weekend I used to be catching up on emails and Instagram DMs immediately, and I learn this one.
“Hello, thanks for the good weblog submit about portray your driveway with Crommelin.
Can I ask the way it appears now? We have a painted driveway and we wish to spruce it up. Just questioning how the Crommelin appears a few years on, particularly over the pre-painted areas?
We’ve been informed by Bunnings we now have to take away all paint for Crommelin to be efficient. That shall be an enormous job so simply questioning if you happen to observed a giant distinction within the last outcome the place the driveway was painted beforehand? Thanks once more for the good web site and ideas!”
I’ve had a number of DMs about our driveway refinishing venture over the previous couple of years – particularly from Pinterest the place that venture went viral – so I believed it will be a good suggestion to revisit it now and share some up to date images.
So a little bit of background to refresh. Painting our driveway was one among our COVID lockdown initiatives, executed in February 2021 (with a two-year-old in tow….. at all times an actual accomplishment). Here’s my authentic weblog submit.
As you possibly can see above, we had a really unloved-looking, very massive expanse of driveway, some new and prolonged, the remaining from the Nineteen Seventies and beforehand painted (by yours actually method again when, with a product referred to as Berger Jet Dry I wouldn’t suggest).
Then we painted it and it was wanting like this.
Now two years later, it appears like this.
In the spirit of transparency, I haven’t swept up or tidied up to your go to. I believe which means we’re actual pals now, proper?
We used the solvent-based Crommelin Diamondcoat Tintable Sealer in an 8L tin. You purchase this and you then add within the color additive – I received a 1L tin of the Crommelin Diamondcoat Tint in Basalt. You can get it at Bunnings. We ended up needing one other massive tin for the second coat. The massive tins price $151 every and the 1L tint pots have been $40. So total this venture price a bit over $400, protecting the price of a curler and brush.
I’ve tried to point out this in images, however you possibly can see there are patches the place the paint has worn away. I’ve tried to get essentially the most worn-looking bits in these pics, however in actuality most of it nonetheless appears respectable, regardless of the small quantity of fading.
THEN
NOW
So would I paint a driveway with Crommelin paint once more? Yes.
It doesn’t look excellent immediately. Some components have begun to put on away which you’ll be able to see.
But for a venture which price $400 (in comparison with in all probability hundreds to have it employed out) I’m nonetheless actually pleased with the way it appears.
We would have cherished to rent somebody to do an uncovered mixture driveway which I believe appears lovely, however the fee would have been out of our attain – I believe it’s about $90-$100 per sq. metre, and we now have numerous driveway so it will have been a number of thousand a minimum of. I’m not saying that value shouldn’t be value it as I believe poured and uncovered mixture can add numerous worth to your landscaping, however it wasn’t inexpensive for us on the time as we had already spent a lot on the driveway. That’s a looong story involving a very dodgy contractor who ended up taking us to courtroom (and misplaced) which I’d share one other day!
The small areas of the driveway the place the paint has worn away haven’t bugged me sufficient to warrant touching it up – but anyway. I believe some put on might be par for the course contemplating most driveways get numerous put on and tear, significantly in spots the place you might be parking.
The lady who emailed me requested me how the pre-painted areas have been faring in comparison with the brand new concrete, and talked about that Bunnings informed them they must take away ALL the outdated paint earlier than repainting. (I shudder on the thought, so I’m not stunned she’s not eager both).
You can see what we have been working with under – our mixture of outdated, beforehand painted driveway and new prolonged areas right here. We didn’t take away all of the outdated paint from our driveway earlier than repainting – it will have been an enormous job, however we did strain wash the entire driveway and scrubbed all of it with a wire brush earlier than we began.
Now two years on, I believe it’s fascinating to notice that there’s not really a lot distinction between the brand new concrete and the outdated components that had additionally been beforehand painted – there are nonetheless some small rubbed away components to the brand new concrete, too. This picture in all probability exhibits essentially the most worn-area, the place Mr Nerd parks his automobile. On the left is the brand new concrete whereas the fitting is the outdated, pre-painted bit.
I nonetheless imagine that the Crommelin tinted sealer is the superior product out of the three driveway paints I’ve tried previously. (The others have been White Knight Ultra Pave and Berger Jet Dry, one which I attempted right here years in the past, the opposite doing the driveway at my mother and father home).
For a driveway that will get baked by our harsh Perth solar, I believe the Crommelin tinted sealer has held up effectively. Except for very first thing within the morning, when we now have a tall gum tree that shades numerous the driveway, it tends to get completely cooked by the solar, particularly in late afternoon in the summertime. I believe due to this, the color has pale barely, though I observed with our vivid gentle my images immediately make it seem lighter than it’s in actual life.
Many folks love that Three Birds Renovations look of gorgeous white and lightweight gray concrete which is extremely well-liked in the intervening time, however if you happen to do that product I’d almost definitely suggest a darker color in case you have an older driveway and numerous loopy backyard, like ours. It’s a lot simpler to maintain a darkish driveway wanting clear. These are the Crommelin tints out there, we went with Basalt as we thought Dark Charcoal can be too near our Dulux Monument-painted exterior partitions.
We have numerous backyard out the entrance of our home, however we even have a LOT of driveway. The distinction portray the driveway has made to the general look of our exterior (and for a comparatively small funding in comparison with hiring out the job) made it value it, regardless of some rubbed bits.
Feel free to let me know in case you have some other questions within the feedback or through DM! I’ll be plugged in now, I swear. Maya x