Top 6 Benefits of Using Exposed Aggregate Retarder for Driveways

Your driveway is an important part of your home’s outside design, and acts as the main entrance to your property for both vehicles and visiting pedestrians. The better-looking your driveway is, the more appealing your whole house will be.

Exposed aggregate is one of Australia’s favourite materials for driveways, and using the right retarder is the key ingredient to a successful installation of an exposed aggregate driveway. Exposed aggregate retarder is a must-have component when installing these types of driveways, and this blog will detail six reasons why we think you’ll love its effect on your new driveway.

What Is Exposed Aggregate Retarder?

Before we dive into what we love about using exposed aggregate concrete retarders on your driveway, let’s define what this incredible chemical actually is:

Exposed aggregate retarder is a water-based, thick fluid that is applied to freshly laid aggregate concrete once any bleedwater has disappeared. It will often come in a variety of bright colours and may even change colours multiple times, such as it being one colour on the pail, a different hue when sprayed and another as it dries. These bright colours allow you to see exactly where the aggregate finishes and your concrete starts.

The retarder will slow the rate at which the upper layer of concrete sets while allowing underlayers to cure at their usual rate. Once the lowest sections of your aggregate concrete have set, the retarder can be washed away with water, at which point it will take away the upper layer of your concrete with it–exposing the beautiful aggregate stones for all to see.

Using an exposed aggregate concrete retarder for your driveway is the safest and easiest way to expose the stones you’re looking for. If you’re not using a retarder, you may need to use harsh chemicals or dangerous blasting instead, both of which can damage your driveway and prove difficult to achieve a uniform finish with.

Here are six benefits of using an exposed aggregate retarder when creating an aggregate driveway!

1. A Longer-Lasting Driveway

Your driveway is the last thing you want to be worrying about when it comes to household cleaning and maintenance, which is why using a retarder in its creation is such a good idea. Using a retarder when exposing the aggregate creates a uniform concrete surface, with every piece of aggregate secured in place.

This means your beautiful exposed aggregate concrete driveway will be less likely to lose stones, crack or warp due to factors like an uneven surface or over-exposed stones. Fewer problems equal less stress in performing fixes or hiring professionals, and you can enjoy a perfect aggregate driveway for many years to come!

Want more information on what can happen if you don’t use a retarder? Check out the appropriate section in our blog on Understanding the Role of Exposed Aggregate Retarder in Concrete Works.

2. Better Grip On Wet Days

Slippery driveways can make using your car on a wet or icy day dangerous and difficult, with the potential for sliding high on smooth, traction-free driveways. When you use a retarder to create your aggregate driveway, you are instead creating the perfect driveway surface that your car can grip onto in all sorts of weather thanks to its excellent slip resistance.

By exposing the aggregate at an even rate using a retarder, you create a textured driveway that your vehicle’s tyres can easily hold onto. This can also be helpful when walking on your aggregate concrete driveway when it is wet or icy, as the even aggregate will keep you from slipping over and injuring yourself.

3. Easy To Clean

Concrete surface driveways tend to accumulate all sorts of natural and man-made debris, from dirt and leaves all the way to oils and food stains. If you’ve exposed your aggregate surfaces using harsh chemicals or blasting techniques, then you may find dirt and debris hiding inside uneven patches of the driveway or holes left by dislodged pieces of aggregate, which can hinder your cleaning processes.

By using an exposed aggregate retarder, you can create an even driveway with just the right amount of exposure for the aggregate pieces. This means fewer cracks and crevices for dirt to hide, making it easy to sweep or hose your driveway clean when needed.

To further protect your aggregate driveway and make it resistant to stains, apply a quality concrete sealer that will help it repel water and oil, brighten the colours, and give it a satin or gloss sheen!

Read our blog on Maintenance Tips for Exposed Aggregate Concrete for more information on keeping your aggregate looking its best!

4. Customisation Options

There are many options when it comes to choosing the type of aggregate finishes you want in your driveway–natural stones are the most common, but glass, shells and gravel are also options you can choose to suit your home’s design. By using a retarder to expose the textured surface you ensure that your aggregate stays in one piece, even delicate ones that would otherwise shatter if exposed using blasting techniques.

By using a retarder, you are making sure you have plenty of options when it comes to decorating your driveway. Match aggregate colours and materials with your home’s embellishments and materials for a coordinated look, or go for a bold material that stands out from the rest of your property! Either way, using a retarder is the best way to ensure your driveway looks as good as possible.

5. Curb Appeal & Value

A beautifully crafted aggregate driveway can become the highlight of your home’s outside facade, and using an aggregate retarder is the best way to ensure your driveway turns out perfectly. 

An aggregate driveway that has been crafted without a retarder may have overly-exposed stones that are unpleasant to walk on, collect dirt around them and are more prone to damage, like cracks or even total dislodgement. Or if the aggregate surfaces haven’t been exposed enough, you may not be able to see the beautiful stones and chips at all.

By using a retarder, you ensure your aggregate driveway will look its best for years to come and is always easy for a quick clean, making it easy to prime and prep if you ever decide to sell your property to potential buyers, or just want to welcome guests with an attractive front driveway.

Learn more about the finishes available for aggregate driveways in our Why Exposed Aggregate Retarder is Essential for Perfect Finishes blog.

6. Eco-Friendly

Choosing to expose the aggregate elements in your concrete driveway using a retarder is not only an easy choice, but it’s also an eco-friendly one. Using strong, harmful chemicals to expose your aggregate means they will be pushed into your garden and local waterways when you wash them off, which can potentially cause harm to vegetation and creatures in the area. Blasting techniques will also cause concrete wastage that contributes to landfill.

The range of aggregate retarders at Australian Slate-Crete Supplies are water-based and don’t contain any harsh or dangerous chemicals, which means when you wash them off at the end of the curing process, you don’t need to stress about your environmental impact. Use them to beautify your driveway and feel guilt-free about impacting the environment at the same time!

Need more convincing? Make sure to check out our blog on Is Exposed Aggregate Concrete the Right Choice for Your Driveway?

Trust Aus Slate-Crete Supplies For Quality Aggregate Concrete

Have you decided to use an exposed aggregate retarder for your driveway? Browse the wide range at Australian Slate-Crete Supplies, the best source of exposed aggregate supplies in Melbourne, and enjoy a great range of high-quality products you can utilise on your property!

If you’d like to browse our range in person, please come and visit our store in Epping, Victoria. Otherwise, feel free to call us on 03 9408 7722 or leave us an online message with any questions or comments you may have about our products. Our friendly team is always eager to discuss anything concrete-related with you, and we’re passionate about helping you create the perfect aggregate driveway with our products!