Snow Is Coming…Is Your Concrete Prepared?

The first nips of cold are touching our noses. Maybe you’ve turned on the heat or added an extra blanket to your bed, but what have you done to get your concrete ready? 

Concrete is much like a sponge. It has millions of little pores that soak up water and debris. Now we all know what happens to water when it freezes… it turns to ice and it also expands. Think about when you freeze a can of soda. Often you’ll open the freezer to an explosion of soda, because the can just couldn’t hold that expanded, frozen liquid any longer. 

Something similar happens when the water in the pores of your concrete freeze. When the little ice particles fill up the pores, the concrete will start to pit and flake. A common misconception is that the salt you lay on your driveway causes the pitting and flaking but that isn’t the case. What is happening is the salt is causing the water to melt and then take with it the concrete that popped up when the ice expanded.

What can you do to prevent all of that pitting and flaking? Seal your concrete! It is a simple solution that can help extend the life of your concrete. There are a couple options for sealing. One is a topical sealant, often sold at box stores like Home Depot or Lowe’s. The other option is a penetrating sealant, like SealantPro. Unlike a topical sealant, SealantPro penetrates into the pores of the concrete to take the place of where water would sit and freeze. It is a one time application, so you don’t have to worry about sealing your concrete every few years either! 

Interested in getting your free quote? Contact us here or call us at 614-820-5438!