How You Can Combat Frost Heave with Your Exterior Concrete

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We've had a pretty cold winter, with a lot of temperature swings and moisture changes. This has caused many of our streets, sidewalks, and driveways to fall victim to what is known as "frost heave." This is when extreme cold temperatures and moisture get into the small cracks in the cement and cause the cement to rise. This happens every year, but this year in particular has caused a lot of extra frost heave.

Since temperatures have risen here in the last few weeks, the cement has returned to its original position, but it has left behind some imperfections that you'll need to shore up. After frost heave happens, you tend to see a lot of little hairline cracks that will start to form in the cement - seal those up once temperatures get above 50 degrees.

Your home may have this problem as well. On many driveways, between the driveway and the garage, there is an expansion joint. The joint is meant to be there so the driveway can't be pushed into the house. When frost heave occurs, it will be pushed up. You can't really push it back down, so the best thing to do in this situation is to try to cut off the excess expansion joint safely with a knife. Then, get some polyurethane sealant and apply it to the crack. Doing this sooner than later will help prevent against frost heave next winter.

If you have any questions, you can always give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

Have You Noticed Anything Strange With Your Driveway?

Have You Noticed Anything Strange With Your Driveway?

Welcome back to our blog. With the recent blast of cold weather, I wanted to share with you what effects the weather can have on your home’s concrete. When we have a 50 degree day, you may notice some things with your driveway that you didn’t see in the fall or summer.

The place where you will notice this is at the point where your driveway meets the garage. When temperatures get very cold, the ground freezes anything with moisture and can expand up to 9%. When this happens, it is not uncommon for your driveway to be higher than your garage floor. For driveways facing the south or southwest, you won’t see this due to the driveway having more exposure to the sun. When the driveway was poured, we used re-bar (reinforcement bar) to allow the expansion so in the springtime, the driveway will lower again.

Don’t be alarmed! If you notice cracks in your driveway on a nice day (50 degrees or warmer), seal the crack with Vulkem to prevent any run off from your car sneaking in. Also, if you notice there is a lot of water pooling up in your garage, try and sweep it out as best as possible. If the water sits, it will creep down underneath and cause for more expansion.

Another thing to watch out for is the road salts that are spread on the roads during a snow or ice storm. The salts usually cover the bottom part of your driveway and can deteriorate the concrete if they aren’t swept off. Not only can the salt eat away at your driveway, snow packed on top of the salt can also cause damage as it will keep thawing and refreezing. If you come across a nice day, don’t hesitate to wash off your driveway!

Thanks for stopping by our blog. If you have any questions, visit our website or one of our model homes. Have a great day!