Copyright 2005-2014 Grizzly Curb & Concrete LTD, All Rights Reserved.
Maintenance
Sealing of Concrete
The proper maintenance and care of your concrete will ensure you get the
nicest looking with the best protection though out your concretes life span.
Concrete should be sealed with a concrete sealer; non penetrating and
penetrating are the two physical properties to look for in a sealer. Penetrating
sealers are a onetime application unlike non penetrating sealer which has to
be reapplied every couple of years when the previous sealer has worn off
from traffic. If you have decorative concrete i.e. (stamped, colored &
exposed concrete) it is best to apply a penetrating sealer first and then a high
gloss sealer overtop. Seals can be applied by homeowners with proper care.
Sealed concrete can be slippery, if concerned it is recommended you use a
texturing agent.
Deicing Salt and Concrete
Well I like to think of it this way , ever get salt into an open cut?
Here is what it says on a bag of deicing salt.
What type of Ice Melter should be used on new concrete?
* Concrete specialists recommend that no Ice Melter should be used on
concrete that is less than one year old.
*During winter months, some concrete can be damaged by normal
"freeze/thaw cycles". Concrete is porous in nature and absorbs water from
ice melting; the water then freezes and expands to cause surface scaling.
Research and laboratory tests have shown that scaling or spalling is primarily
a physical action from hydraulic and osmotic pressures, and not caused by
chemical reactions from Ice Melters. With the exception of Ammonium
Nitrate and Ammonium Sulfate (fertilizers no longer sold as Ice Melters), Ice
Melters do not cause scaling with chemical reactions or crystal pressures.
*Air-entrainment of concrete (a technique developed in the 1930s for cold
climates) protects concrete by creating billions of closely spaced air voids in
the
concrete that act as relief valves to absorb hydraulic and osmotic pressures
of freezing water within concrete. Regardless of brand, Ice Melters create
more water and increase saturation of concrete. During freezing, water builds
pressure that can cause scaling if air entrainment voids are not present to
relieve this pressure. The affects of freeze/thaw cycles may be reduced by
using only moderate amounts of Ice Melter, by removing the resulting slush
and water to accelerate drying, or by using a concrete sealer. The risk of
concrete damage must be weighed against the risk of slippery conditions.
* Websites that explain Ice Melters and Concrete are: www.cement.org,
www.cement.ca and www.pavement.com.
This is the site that this came from, at the bottom of the page where nobody looks.
The proper maintenance and care of your concrete will ensure you get the
nicest looking with the best protection though out your concretes life span.
Concrete should be sealed with a concrete sealer; non penetrating and
penetrating are the two physical properties to look for in a sealer. Penetrating
sealers are a onetime application unlike non penetrating sealer which has to
be reapplied every couple of years when the previous sealer has worn off
from traffic. If you have decorative concrete i.e. (stamped, colored &
exposed concrete) it is best to apply a penetrating sealer first and then a high
gloss sealer overtop. Seals can be applied by homeowners with proper care.
Sealed concrete can be slippery, if concerned it is recommended you use a
texturing agent.
Deicing Salt and Concrete
Well I like to think of it this way , ever get salt into an open cut?
Here is what it says on a bag of deicing salt.
What type of Ice Melter should be used on new concrete?
* Concrete specialists recommend that no Ice Melter should be used on
concrete that is less than one year old.
*During winter months, some concrete can be damaged by normal
"freeze/thaw cycles". Concrete is porous in nature and absorbs water from
ice melting; the water then freezes and expands to cause surface scaling.
Research and laboratory tests have shown that scaling or spalling is primarily
a physical action from hydraulic and osmotic pressures, and not caused by
chemical reactions from Ice Melters. With the exception of Ammonium
Nitrate and Ammonium Sulfate (fertilizers no longer sold as Ice Melters), Ice
Melters do not cause scaling with chemical reactions or crystal pressures.
*Air-entrainment of concrete (a technique developed in the 1930s for cold
climates) protects concrete by creating billions of closely spaced air voids in
the
concrete that act as relief valves to absorb hydraulic and osmotic pressures
of freezing water within concrete. Regardless of brand, Ice Melters create
more water and increase saturation of concrete. During freezing, water builds
pressure that can cause scaling if air entrainment voids are not present to
relieve this pressure. The affects of freeze/thaw cycles may be reduced by
using only moderate amounts of Ice Melter, by removing the resulting slush
and water to accelerate drying, or by using a concrete sealer. The risk of
concrete damage must be weighed against the risk of slippery conditions.
* Websites that explain Ice Melters and Concrete are: www.cement.org,
www.cement.ca and www.pavement.com.
This is the site that this came from, at the bottom of the page where nobody looks.
