As winter progresses, the snow and frost can damage your concrete. This is why it’s essential to clear your driveway off after every snowfall and undergo simple winter maintenance for your concrete driveway. Learn what freeze-thaw damage is and the damage it can cause to your concrete surfaces:
What is freeze-thaw damage?
Freeze-thaw damage is when your concrete absorbs water. Once the temperature drops below freezing, the water turns to ice. As the liquid turns to ice, it expands and causes the concrete to crack. Leaving cracks in your concrete is dangerous, which is why homeowners should get their concrete repaired if it’s cracked.
If homeowners allow freeze-thaw damage to continue occurring, it can impact the integrity of their concrete. In addition to cracking, concrete can deteriorate over time.
To fix the problem, homeowners can call a concrete professional to get the cracks filled. If the rest of the concrete slab is in a good state, a full replacement would not be required.
Preventive measures
The easiest way to prevent freeze-thaw damage is to not allow mass amounts of water to penetrate the concrete. This means not letting snow sit on top of your driveway and become compacted down. In addition, make sure water can properly runoff your concrete slab to prevent other damage from occurring.
Concrete slabs can also be sealed to help them become less porous. It’s advised to consult with a concrete profession to understand what products will work best and not cause future damage to your concrete.
Get the professionals involved
With the right care, concrete should last for a long time. It’s when water is allowed to sit on the surface or improper drainage is allowed that bigger problems begin to develop. To increase your concrete’s longevity, call the concrete professionals at Level Ground today.