How to Remove Tire Marks from a Driveway
Black marks where you park or turn usually come from warm tires softening and transferring rubber compounds onto the driveway. On sealed driveways, hot tires can also lift the sealer itself.
Two different problems
Tire marks are rubber residue sitting on the surface, and a degreaser removes them. Hot-tire pickup is when the sealer sticks to the tire and peels, leaving bare patches. That's a sealer problem, and it needs resealing with the right product.
Why Tennessee summers make it worse
Driveways get hot enough in July and August to soften both tire compounds and some sealers. Parking right after a highway drive is the most common cause.
Choosing sealer
Driveways with hot-tire pickup problems usually need a sealer rated for vehicle traffic and applied in thin coats. Thick coats of some acrylics are the usual culprit.
What you can try yourself
- Apply a concrete degreaser to the marks and let it dwell.
- Scrub with a stiff nylon brush and rinse.
- Repeat for older marks.
What to avoid
- Solvents on sealed driveways. They can soften the sealer.
- Wire brushes on decorative concrete.
When to call a professional
If you're seeing peeling sealer under the marks, it's time for a strip-and-reseal with a product made for vehicle traffic. See our driveway sealing service.
What customers say
"I used First Class Pressure Cleaning to seal my aggregate driveway and they did a fantastic job. It was in rough shape as we had never sealed it before. Lots of salt damage as well from trying to de-ice the last winter storm. It looks so much better now. They even came back the next day for touch-ups on some areas where the winter salts had worn through to the concrete. Very happy with this company and the work they’ve done!"
Dan · Google Review
"Great job done by Wally & crew for 1st Class Power wash. Front & Back porches along with large patio and lots of stairs. Furniture and planters moved and replaced. Sealant added to protect patio. Will use again!"
Judy B. · Google Review
"Highly recommend! Andrew and his team were great at communicating and worked around rainy weather days to clean and seal our stamped concrete around the pool to ensure the product would successfully seal it. They were on time, friendly, and their communication throughout the process was amazing!"
Andrea H. · Google Review
96 Google reviews from homeowners and businesses across Middle Tennessee. Read them all on Google.
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Related guides
- How to Remove Oil Stains from a Concrete Driveway
- How to Remove Rust Stains from Concrete
- Flaking Concrete (Scaling): Causes and How Sealing Helps
- How to Clean and Seal an Exposed Aggregate Driveway
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