The time spent on the patio with a beer or the front porch with some iced tea is ending. It is creeping toward the middle of October and the cold weather will be here before you know it.
Time to start thinking about getting your home winter ready. In addition to storing away the lawnmower, shovels, bikes, and pool toys you need to think about your outdoor surfaces.
The weather in the Chicago area can be brutal and particularly hard on concrete. Extreme temperatures can cause concrete to crack and crumble. Snow salt is also rough on concrete. Instead of dealing with repairing your concrete surfaces in the spring, get your outdoor concrete areas winter-ready and protected from the harsh elements.
Concrete Is not as Tough as it Seems
Concrete does not usually fare well with extreme temperatures. Shoveling and salting your driveway, walkway and porch is also hard on concrete. The salt itself is tough on concrete and the melted snow can get into the crack. As the weather reaches freezing temps, the melted snow expands in the concrete cracks, creating a wedge that can cause larger cracks and chips. The creates an unsightly mess and a potential hazard.
Concrete Needs a “Coat”
Coating concrete with a commercial grade, UV stable concrete coating system will help your concrete surfaces handle harsh winters and extreme temperatures.
Jim Melchert, founder of Garage-Store.com, explains, “epoxy, polyurea and polyaspartic are various coating systems that use various polymer resins and curing agents that are all packaged separately, but then are mixed, just prior to use. However, when mixed and cured, the coating system becomes a solid polymer system that offers characteristics such as superior adhesion, hardness, UV stability and chemical resistance. These characteristics are dependent on the type of resins, curing agents, solvents and fillers used. The quality, cost, and durability of the coating system is related to the purpose. Be sure to consult a certified installer and review product specifications to ensure the correct product is used for your purpose.”
An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure
Instead of trying to repair cracked and pitted concrete in the Spring, avoid damage and repair with a bit of prevention.
Concrete coating is typically less than it would cost to tear out and re-pour new concrete. It also can be applied on most surfaces in fewer than 2 days.
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