Saturday, September 30, 2017

Concrete Repair in Cordova IL: Sealing the Weather Out


Concrete repair in Cordova, Illinois can help your sidewalks, driveways and foundations be a little safer to use; however, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Sealing concrete either before or after a mudjacking project or full slab replacement can help prevent the cracks that allow the soil beneath concrete to erode and begin the slow, but inevitable slippage that results in uneven walkways and foundations. Below is a little more information about why sealing concrete is a necessary step, especially with cold weather on the horizon…read on!

The Damage Potential
Porous surfaces are susceptible to infiltration by condensation, rain, sprinkler runoff and other sources of water. In colder weather, this can easily become frost or ice, which makes the trapped water’s volume expand, thereby causing pressure on the surfaces of the slab. Then, during the temperature highs of the daytime, frost and ice shards thaw, allowing the water to drain into the newly enlarged space. Over time, the surface of a slab can become cracked, allowing more moisture to begin the same process beneath the concrete with the added damaging factor of soil erosion to create enough stress on a crack that part of the slab can then give way. At this point, concrete repair work is inevitable, and much more costly than having a preventative treatment applied to nondamaged surfaces and any repaired or replaced slabs.

How Sealants Work
As with most materials’ surfaces, concrete has small flaws and pores caused by microscopic air bubbles that form during the mixing stage and are burst during the drying phase when your slabs are first poured. Ideally, a preventative sealant applied as soon as the surface has cured can lock out the moisture that begins the damage process caused by colder weather and water. However, at any point, a concrete sealant will bond to the imperfections of the surface, taking up the spaces that would be susceptible to moisture and the subsequent freezing process that occurs when temperatures drop. This effectively locks out the damaging factors and keeps your walkways and foundation safe from these natural processes. With one phone call to your local concrete repair service during the early stages of autumn, you can effectively protect your home from the subtle damages that occur every day during the harsh winters in Illinois. These treatments can be reapplied as recommended by a professional mudjacker or concrete supply company.

For more information about concrete repair in Cordova IL and how homeowners can prevent damages to their walkways and foundations by contracting a professional to apply a protective sealant, call 309-373-2919  or click on the provided link.

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