Concrete is an incredibly durable material, but it’s not invincible. When winter comes, this means that your concrete surfaces can end up damaged. Fortunately, there are things that you can do in order to protect your concrete from winter damage. It’s important to do whatever you can to keep your concrete in good condition, not only for aesthetic purposes, but also to prevent safety hazards on your property, such as cracks that people can trick on.
Here are some effective methods you can utilize in order to protect your concrete from winter damage.
Concrete may seem like a solid material, but in reality, it’s quite porous. This means that come the winter months, it’s easy for snow and melting ice to soak into your concrete and cause damage. Concrete can expand and contract depending on the temperature. When water gets into it, the freeze-thaw cycle can damage your concrete. This can lead to cracking and spalling.
This problem can be worsened by the use of deicing agents, such as salt or chemical deicers. This is because these speed up the freeze-thaw cycle, which ergo speeds up the rate at which your concrete sustains damage. They also cause your concrete to absorb more water than it otherwise would. This leads to more expansion than concrete can handle.
You can prevent this problem by using a seal in order to prevent moisture from penetrating the surface. Waterproofing seals both protect your surface and help you by giving you a grippier surface to walk on. Seals prevent moisture absorption while also allowing water vapors to escape through your concrete, so that there’s enough breathability. Seals also help to protect your concrete from deicing agents and how they can corrode it.
You want to reseal your concrete every 2-3 years or so, for optimal protection.
If you don’t repair the parts of your concrete that are beginning to show signs of damage, said damage will end up spreading. Given that concrete is already susceptible to damage during the winter, existing damages could end up spreading much faster.
You can obtain a concrete patch and patch up your damaged concrete fairly quickly. Concrete patches help your concrete to last longer, maintain its curb appeal, and function properly. As long as you maintain your concrete patches, they should be able to last you for years on end.
Patching up your concrete helps you to address any damages before they get the chance to become unrepairable. Rather than having to deal with needing to replace your concrete sooner rather than later, you can help your concrete last longer by addressing small damages before they become big problems that you can no longer fix.
You want to clear your driveway or other concrete surfaces, but you don’t want to damage your concrete. Protect your concrete from winter damage by using other methods to clear the snow and ice from your driveway.
While salt itself won’t corrode your concrete, it will attract moisture to the surface. This increases the risk of cracking and spalling because it speeds up the freeze-thaw cycle, as mentioned above. Salt increases the amount of stress and pressure on your concrete, which increases the likelihood of damage.
Chemical deicers cause your concrete to disintegrate much faster than it would otherwise. Like salt, they speed up the freeze-thaw cycle. They can also ruin your concrete by reacting chemically with it. Potassium chloride and magnesium chloride are less corrosive deicing options that are less likely to result in damage to your surfaces.
Stone Edge Surfaces can help you to protect your concrete from winter damage with our range of concrete products. We provide waterproofing materials, deck seal, concrete patches, and more. When you take the proper measures to protect your concrete, you can help it last longer and improve the value of your property.
To learn more about how we can help you to protect your concrete from winter damage, please don’t hesitate to contact us today!