It’s that special time of year when you bring two jackets with you when you leave the house – a light and a heavy – but may need either, both, or neither at various times of the day. It’s fall, and the weather in Virginia is unpredictable! But winter is inching closer, so it’s time to talk about caring for concrete during the cold season.
Keep It Clean – We’re a Family Friendly Company
The most basic part of caring for concrete in winter is relevant all year: keeping it clean. It’s not just aesthetic. That’s because dirt and debris aren’t just ugly; they can damage your concrete.
Leaves
As fall winds down, the leaves we once peeped we must now rake up and dispose of. If left uncollected in our driveway, these leaves will break down and become dirt, nasty sludge, or worse!
As moisture accumulates in the leaves, they can build mold, discoloring your concrete or making it more difficult for water to evaporate, making ice more likely.
Dirt
If you’ve ever gotten sand or a rock in your shoe, it will come as no surprise that, over time, it can wear a surface down, whether that surface is your big toe or your driveway. That’s the whole concept of sandblasting and sandpaper.
While dirt and debris on concrete don’t have the same level of applied pressure as a sander, over time, it can still have a damaging effect, creating scratches and indentations in your formerly pristine walkways and driveways.
So, cleaning up is the first step to keep caring for concrete.
No Problems Like Snow Problems
Anyone who passed high school biology knows that water expands when it freezes. (That’s rare, for matter, by the way!) That can be a problem when it gets into small spaces.
As water expands and becomes ice, which it will do in the winter, it takes the areas that contain it with it. So, if your driveway or walkway has cracks or even intentional lines, the water and ice can create more significant breaks – a key to keep in mind when caring for concrete.
Shoveling
Shoveling is the first step to caring for your concrete. But you must be cautious when shoveling. It’s easy as you get into a rhythm to scrape or bring your shovel down too hard, at which point you become the concrete problem!
Deicing
Deicing is often the right decision for preventing cracks in your concrete. And it can also help prevent possible injuries from people slipping on ice!
But all deicing agents are not created equal. While many are safe, others are too harsh on your concrete (not to mention animal feet). So, if you use a deicing agent, use one approved for your surface.
Don’t use Magnesium chloride, Ammonium sulfate, or Ammonium nitrate on your concrete surfaces.
Caring for Concrete Next Steps: Call Blue Ridge Coatings for Professional Concrete Maintenance
While there’s much you can do to keep your concrete in tip-top condition on your own, there are certain places where you will need the help of professionals. Enlist Blue Ridge Coatings and Supply for your professional concrete care.
We’ll fix cracks and apply (or reapply) sealants to protect your concrete from winter and all the elements. Give us a call to see what we can do for you!