Concrete Maintenance & Upkeep Tips for Homeowners

Concrete can make a great addition to your home, property or landscape! However poorly maintained concrete can deteriorate over time, and lead to an ugly mess that needs to be replaced! Luckily, there are steps and procedures you can take as a home owner to improve the longevity of your concrete surfaces, from slabs, to patios, pathways, and stairways. 

Taking care of your concrete is a wise choice, not only from a homeowner perspective, but from a general home resale value perspective. In years time, you will be happy you took some necessary steps to ensure your concrete has been kept in top tier condition.

De-Icing Chemicals

While snow and ice can be a major nuisance, it’s certainly not as much of a nuisance as a crack in your concrete, or scaling, flaking, or even chipping in your concrete. First of all, try to use the least harmful de-icing chemicals possible for the removal of ice and snow. 

This will reduce the amount of damage that is done to concrete. One such chemical that can be used is magnesium chloride. These products can be less harmful then alternatives like normal rock salt.

Concrete Sealers

Concrete sealers are a great way to improve the longevity of your concrete. A concrete sealer works to weatherproof your concrete, and keep unnecessary water and precipitation from penetrating into the concrete. 

A well designed concrete sealer will also improve the look of your concrete. 

All in all, using a concrete sealer is a great way to maintain your concrete. Just make sure to reapply your concrete sealer every 1-2 years or as recommended by the manufacturer in your area. Professional concrete sealing in Calgary is a service we often recommend to our clients to ensure their concrete is protected for the long term. There are a number of versatile options you can choose from including hardeners, densifiers, and more…

Repair Cracks in Your Concrete

Another great tip to improve the longevity of your concrete when it does crack is to repair those cracks as quickly as possible. Crack repair for concrete involves solutions like epoxy injection, or polyurethane crack repair.

These crack repair solutions help to improve structural stability and architectural aesthetics after a crack in concrete has already formed. 

This can ensure that sub-surface conditions are kept optimal as the intrusion of water is prohibited. Crack repair will also help to resist the effects of corrosion for rebar or other forms of steel reinforcement.

Use Concrete Elements for Intended Purpose

Use your concrete surfaces for their intended purpose. This means sidewalks can be walked on, and driveways driven on. 

Different concrete elements have different amounts of structural reinforcement and different designs to facilitate their intended purpose. 

For instance, to improve the longevity of your concrete patio, that is able to be driven on, have your concrete contractor design it for vehicle traffic. Likewise do not allow vehicle or equipment traffic on concrete patios or concrete pathways.

Provide Proper Drainage

Proper drainage on your property can help to negate the negative effects of erosion. By directing water away from foundations, driveways, and landscaped areas, you reduce the risk of soil displacement, slab undermining, and surface cracking. 

Not only that, but you reduce the likelihood of unnecessary flooding on your property too! Some potential options for surface drainage and subsurface drainage include swales, french drains, landscaping techniques, weeping tile foundation systems and ideal property grading/sloping.

Prevent Spills 

You want to prevent excessive spills of oils or other products that can stain your concrete. Unprotected concrete without the right sealer can easily stain. Stained concrete really has a poor aesthetic to it. 

So wherever possible, be it in your garage, your driveway, or your backyard patio, use surface protection to prevent nasty stains in your concrete.

Clean the Concrete Regularly

Part of maintenance of any home’s concrete surfaces is the required cleaning. Sweep and clean your concrete regularly. 

Sweeping concrete is a great way to clean it, but this is just the start. The utilization of power washing can bring a great improvement in appearance. 

Even normal hose washing at the end of a season is a great way to rinse the concrete free of sediment and de-icing chemicals that could be left over. 

Summary

Overall if you follow these few concrete maintenance tips and tricks, you’ll find your concrete in tip top shape all year round! No matter if you are dealing with a simple concrete patio, to a full wraparound of concrete pathways and a concrete driveway… following some basic preventative maintenance measures with your concrete is a great way to improve longevity and maintain durability. 

Not to mention, maintaining your concrete will keep it looking great too!

A reputable concrete contractor will give you all the advice you need for concrete maintenance on turnover. For instance a professional Calgary concrete contractor is fully invested in ensuring your concrete is not only high quality but properly taken care after placement. This would be the same in your area!

Concrete Maintenance Frequently Asked Questions

How do I clean concrete properly?

Concrete needs to be swept properly. Mild detergents or degreasers for stains can be utilized. Pressure washing for deep cleaning is suggested. Avoid using high pressure, pressure washing, on older concrete or decorative concrete in some scenarios. For rust stains try specialized rust removers.

How often do I reseal concrete?

Generally speaking you will want to reseal your concrete every 1-3 years. This depends on the manufacturer’s recommendations and the use case. For instance an interior floor can be sealed less frequently but a concrete driveway should be sealed more frequently. Higher traffic areas should be resealed based on wear.

What causes concrete to crack?

Concrete can crack due to a number of reasons. These can include shrinkage during curing, freeze-thaw cycles, soil movement/settlement, overloading, lack of control joints and improper curing. Hairline cracks might be normal, but wider or shifting cracks often need professional repairs.

How do I protect concrete in winter?

It is best to seal your concrete before winter. Always keep your concrete clean of snow, deicers, and leaves for example. Best practice is to use non-corrosive ice melts. Inspection of cracks before freeze-thaw cycles begin are also a good idea.