Just like anything on your property, maintaining proper conditions for your concrete elements is paramount to the overall condition of your overall building and property. General maintenance, for concrete sidewalks, pathways, driveways, patios and more is not difficult. It involves just taking annual or periodic measures to assure your surfaces and concrete elements are intact and protected to the best of your ability.
One of the most frequently performed annual maintenance items is concrete sealing / re-sealing for example. Other means and methods for more serious concrete maintenance include concrete resurfacing and crack repairs.
Concrete Sealing & Re-sealing
Concrete sealers not only improve the appearance and look of concrete elements such as concrete patios, pathways, steps, and driveways, but actually increase durability. Concrete sealing is a process undertaken with most specialty concrete surfaces, like stamped concrete, or with exposed aggregate concrete, after pour/curing. Concrete sealers come in various forms and product offerings, from dull matte finishes, to shiny acrylic sealers, and penetrating sealers.
Most concrete sealing products will have to be reapplied after a year or so. Re-application of concrete sealing products provides lasting protection for the following season. With any concrete sealing product, it is important to follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions as to frequency of application and correct procedural requirements.
A best practice with concrete sealing products is to ensure the concrete surface is clean and clear of any stains, and/or dust. A thorough cleaning, potentially with chemicals, detergents, and power washing may be warranted. Concrete sealing is common-place for driveways, and almost always done for exposed aggregate concretes and stamped concretes.
Photo Above: Concrete slabs as above, and exposed aggregate concrete, as treated with sealers, would require inspection annually for sealing and potential re-application.
Reduced Use of Salts
As a little known fact the use of salts and de-icing chemicals for concrete landscape maintenance in the winter can actually have a negative impact on concrete surfaces. Over time (several seasons), deicing chemicals and salts that are commonly used on residential or commercial properties can cause the surface of concrete to corrode. They can even leach into the concrete, especially if there is no sealer.
This problem can be alleviated if more environmentally friendly de-icing solutions are utilized for dealing with ice build-up, snow build up, and generally increasing the usability of walking surfaces during winter.
Even just using gravel or sand, in lieu of chemical de-icers can help to reduce the amount of wear and tear on coatings, sealers, and concrete itself.
Other issues with use of salts on concrete include: flaking, chipping, cracking, discoloration, and increased susceptibility to freeze-thaw cycles.
With structural concrete, such as for building foundations, sulfates and chlorides can be harmful. Specific concrete mix designs and concrete mix additives are frequently used to circumvent issues like this. But for the average homeowner, reduction of the use of de-icing chemicals is fine, along with general rinsing of concrete after snow-melt conditions to clear away residuals if de-icing chemicals were used.
Proper Property Drainage
Proper property drainage leads to less issues with potential erosion of sub-concrete conditions. The erosion of crushed gravels, sands, or other fills used to support concrete structures can eventually lead to degradation of the concrete surfaces resting upon them(structural fills / general fill).
There is a lot of time and precaution taken into account with the preparation of subgrade, and sub-base/base conditions for concrete. This includes for the placing of the correct size crushed gravel, tamping(compaction) of the subsurface, to desired specifications in what is typically known as compliance with field compaction testing or proctor testing.
The below concrete conditions are provided such a unique treatment to not only improve the longevity of concrete, but ensure that the structural reinforcement and mix design for the concrete element at hand is not designed over and above what is required.
So when seriously looking at property drainage on your property, ask yourself, is it going to erode the subsurface conditions in and around your concrete structures? If it is, it’s time to do some annual maintenance and ensure that the drainage pathways for your property are in order to prevent failure of structural elements and the like.
Some systems that are employed for structural concrete elements, like foundation walls, or slabs, include weeping tile systems. These systems again help to dissipate runoff away from a building, reducing hydro-static pressure on concrete elements below grade.
For your home or property, assurance that your drainage system is functioning properly, and even rudimentary checks of lower elevation areas in the home for leaks are both key in total concrete maintenance for a home / landscape.
Photo Above: Concrete sub-grade preparation is a time-intensive process and so care should be taken to ensure no potential for erosion of sub-surface conditions is possible post-pour. Excessive runoff is the general concern here.
Crack-filling and General Concrete Repairs
Crack-filling, injections, and general repairs for concrete are essential not only to improve the temporary characteristics and aesthetics of concrete slabs, patriots, pathways and driveways, but ensure that the structural stability is maintained for years to come!
Landscape Concrete
A crack in concrete is bound to cause the concrete to be damaged more over a period of time.
A crack in concrete, once water is introduced to the slab or a patio, will cause the concrete to spread apart even further, during a freeze thaw cycle for instance.
A concrete slab for a patio benefits greatly from the reduction of concrete cracks. As a homeowner, making sure to take consideration of these elements, such as polyurethane crack injection, epoxy injection, and other injection methods provides a various number of ways to ensure that the concrete slab is protected for years to come.
Following up with resealing for a concrete element is a wise choice, after the injection is completed. Taking steps to do annual inspections of your concrete surfaces is essential to identify areas that need repair. Importantly, taking time with general concrete repairs and crack injections, may reduce the prevalence and/or necessity for more serious concrete removal and replacements in the future.
Structural Concrete
Likewise, building foundation concrete walls should be inspected if exposed, and other areas prone to leakage in a home. A small crack in a building foundation wall can be cause for concern, not only for general interpretation that waterproofing may have failed, but that following seasons may cause more significant structural failure (freeze-thaw).
Full tracing and inspection of cracks in structural concrete is necessary to properly address serious leakage issues, and in some cases, detailed excavation from outside the building! These are matters best kept to the services of professional foundation repair and waterproofing contractors.
Photo Above: Epoxy/polyurethane injections can be used to repair concrete cracks and prevent intrusion of water which can, with freeze-thaw cycles, increase structural issues and even expose sub-surface concrete reinforcement.
Concrete Polishing / Resurfacing
Concrete polishing and resurfacing methods can be utilized for restoring aesthetics to concrete. When concrete floors and patios or slabs, chip/flake and begin to show signs of wear, employing concrete resurfacing services or concrete grinding services to bring the surface back to a good condition is essential!
Concrete resurfacing takes into consideration not only the current condition of the concrete, but what sort of design and aesthetic you might want to employ in the future to ensure that your concrete is aesthetically pleasing too!
Concrete resurfacing and repairs can also include for minor structural repairs as deemed necessary, typically by an engineer, or a concrete contractor with experience in the subject matter!
We look at concrete elements that have serious structural issues with attention to detail for reinforcement, formwork, and mix-design utilization. For instance, some concrete needs to be removed in entirety and provided fresh concrete poured to facilitate a totally finished product.
Photo Above: Concrete(polished) floor in a custom finish. Intermittent maintenance of concrete floors such as this will not only ensure long term durability, but keep the floor’s beautiful sheen and aesthetic for longer.
Conclusion
In general concrete is a very easy item to maintain and keep in top tier condition for your home or property. However there are a few common activities you can use to ensure your surfaces and elements stay in top tier condition. Taking some precaution with maintenance and being proactive with repairs not only will extend the life and aesthetic appeal of your concrete, but increase the general structural soundness of the product for years to come.
If you have specific products installed on your concrete, such as sealers, take your time to research the specifications on the products for re-application. Otherwise, generally pay attention to the quality of your concrete elements to ensure they are in good condition year round, and repair them as issues arise.
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