Whether you have a large driveway or a small backyard patio, you are probably interested in how to maintain your outdoor concrete to extend the life and get the most out of your investment. Jefferson County homeowners know that the outside of their homes is at the mercy of the elements. You can protect your investment through proper care and maintenance throughout the year. Learn from our experience with our ten tips to maintain outdoor concrete.
1. Understand Your Environment
Here in Missouri, weather conditions can vary quite a bit from month to month. Outdoor concrete surfaces can suffer from these changing weather conditions, particularly during the winter and summer. Our first tip to protect your investment is to make sure concrete surfaces are sloped away from your home. This will prevent water puddling and freezing which can weaken and damage the concrete.
2. Pour and Cure Outdoor Concrete Properly
Ready Mix concrete should be poured between certain temperatures and allowed to cure so that it achieves maximum durability. These two steps are vital to the longevity of your outdoor concrete. With over 50 years of experience in Jefferson County, Arnold Ready Mix has experienced just about every pouring and curing circumstance imaginable. When you call us for ready-mix concrete delivery, you have our experience at hand to make sure your concrete project has the integrity and strength to last.
Related: Best 7 Tips for Preparing for a Home Concrete Delivery
3. Cleaning Outdoor Concrete
As part of your basic concrete maintenance routine, clean up any debris and spills immediately to prevent stains and damage. We also recommend that you give your concrete surfaces a deep clean with a pressure washer several times a year.
4. Sealing Your Concrete
Once your outdoor concrete surface has been poured and allowed to properly cure, you’ll want to seal the concrete to block against stains, moisture, and excess wear. Sealing also enhances the appearance of your concrete.
5. Painting and Staining Concrete
Closely related to sealing outdoor concrete, protect your concrete from the elements for years to come by giving it a fresh coat of paint or stain. Before you apply these materials, make sure your surface is clean. Then, you’ll want to re-apply the finish every three to five years.
6. Avoiding Destructive Chemicals
Concrete sealant is designed to resist normal wear and tear and destructive elements. However, heavy-duty chemicals that contain sulfates and ammonium nitrates can eliminate the sealant’s sheen and corrode the materials. It’s also a good idea to avoid de-icing salts on treated or stamped concrete if you want the finish to last.
7. Managing Plant Growth
Plant and tree roots can compromise the integrity of your concrete when they grow underneath and push up on the materials. You can avoid these troubles by removing plant growth in concrete cracks as soon as they appear, trimming your shrubbery frequently. Be sure to keep an eye on nearby trees and tree roots for signs the roots are creeping underneath the concrete.
8. Providing Overhead Cover
The less exposure your concrete has to the elements, the longer it will last. Adding an overhead cover to a concrete patio or pool deck will prolong the life of those surfaces.
9. Limiting Your Weight
One of the greatest advantages of concrete is that it is a durable and strong material. That being said, residential concrete is not designed to hold extremely heavy materials the way commercial grade concrete does. Your vehicle is fine on your driveway, but it’s a good idea to avoid having heavier machinery stored or regularly parking on these surfaces.
10. Inspecting Your Outdoor Concrete
If you want to prolong the life of your residential concrete, inspect it frequently. Look for deterioration and cracks in the material. Some cracks are minor and can be repaired easily. But, if a crack is wider than your finger, you may want to consider consulting a professional for repair or replacement.
Summary
Your outdoor spaces should be a source of pride as a Jefferson County property owner. If you’ve invested in quality materials and workmanship, you should also spend the time to maximize that investment by using these ten tips to maintain outdoor concrete.
Arnold Ready Mix is Jefferson County’s locally-owned expert on concrete. Whether you are interested in concrete delivery for a small do-it-yourself project or a large commercial construction site, we have you covered. Contact us today for your free ready mix concrete delivery quote.
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