To solve concrete spalling, the job should be started with good concrete and ended with good finishing techniques. Deicing salts, contrary to popular belief, will not harm concrete that is made, placed and finished in the proper way. Never use fertilizers as deicers because the chemicals may attack your concrete. If you're still concerned about water messing up your surface, use a concrete sealant.
For information on deicing salt or concrete, check out the following trusted sources. The Salt Institute, the American Concrete Institute and the Portland Cement Association are all organizations who will give you professional information. Local engineering labs also are good go-to sources for literature.
To prevent against concrete cracks, tilting or settling, use pea fill around your concrete foundation. Pea fill is a mixture of coarse sand and pea gravel that is perfect to use for large, empty spaces because it compacts and eliminates air space. If you're building a new home, and you don't have this around a slab of concrete that comes in contact with your foundation, you can always pin your slab following these pointers.
There are many advantages to slabjacking. Usually the job can be completed in a few hours. There will be no heavy trucks on your existing driveway. Your landscaping will not be disturbed. Things on the slab won't have to be moved. The slabjacking grout creates a firm new base. The slab can generally be used again in a few hours. It simply costs less than installing new concrete, which will undoubtedly be a different color. The list goes on and on.
Steel and concrete are natural partners. Commercial and industrial builders use these two materials all the time. However, residential builders frequently use little or no steel. What a mistake! The shame is that this steel is so inexpensive. You can purchase a 20 foot 1/2 inch reinforcing steel bar for $3.25 and have amazing, strong results in your concrete.
When a concrete slab cracks, crumbles, tilts or otherwise deteriorates within 5 to ten years of being installed, a homeowner has good reason to be disappointed. This is especially true of a slab that is in perfect condition but for one reason or another has tilted or sunken. Too many people have replaced these types of defects with new concrete, when they could have simply raised the slab through concrete lifting.
Concrete, what an amazing material! I can't say enough about it. Here is a material that you can make out of four basic ingredients (sand, gravel, cement and water). Once mixed, it can be placed with relative ease (because it is in a semi-liquid state). Then, when dry it can become hard as a rock! However, concrete can and does crack because it naturally absorbs water. When it comes time to patch, consider additives or epoxies to help your patch stick and your concrete last longer.
There are numerous companies that manufacture concrete crack patch compounds. Some of these are regional and some are national brands. I have listed several national brand companies that make great products for concrete repair.
Concrete floor repair begins with the preparation. Before you mix any patching material, first make sure your concrete repair job doesn't involve any tapered edges to the patch area. Follow instructions for mixing the patching material and be sure to wet the cracked surface if you aren't using a bonding agent. The best time for concrete repairs is to apply when the weather is cloudy and damp, and 55 degrees F. Follow these tips for concrete patching success.
There are many steps to laying a concrete overlay. The following article will walk you through the prep period to the cleaning up period. It is important to remember to have the correct materials including Portland cement, fine and coarse sand and pea gravel. Work in sections and be sure to spray the surface with a curing compound (or cover with plastic) when its finished.
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