Concrete is tough. But so is winter. When the battle begins between winter’s hard conditions and your concrete driveway’s durability, which one wins? The answer to that largely depends on how well you protect and preserve your concrete driveway.
Without question, investing in a concrete driveway is a wise and prudent allocation of your money. Concrete is highly durable and known for its resistance to the elements of nature. Whether it’s glaring relentless heat or pounding rain, concrete withstands. However, the conditions that winter brings are a slightly different story.
In fact, winter can be concrete’s Achilles heel; it’s the one season that can damage concrete to the point that your concrete structure or structures will need to be repaired. While the focus of this discussion is on concrete driveways, any concrete structures – pool decks, walkways, patios, and sidewalks – are subject to being damaged during winter.
For that reason, it’s recommended to take precautions to protect your concrete driveway from winter’s threats.
The guidelines below will help you learn how winter weather conditions can affect your concrete driveway and what you can do to preempt the potential damage.
Don’t use salt. Even though salt is a common household product that just about every homeowner who lives in winter climates always has on hand, it should not be used on concrete driveways. Salt is effective in its ability to melt ice and lend a textured grip to surfaces that have iced up. But, when ice begins to form or moisture is absorbed, your concrete can become even harder to walk on or drive on.
But salt can damage concrete by causing it to crack. In lieu of salt, use a cold-weather coat on your concrete driveway.
Apply sealant. Add one of the sealers that have been proven to give concrete surfaces additional protection from the harshness of winter. There are specific mixtures and sealers that – when placed on top of the concrete’s surface – can actually preempt the conditions that cause concrete to break or crack. When you consult with a professional concrete company, you will learn about a product specifically designed for this type of protection and you will be encouraged to give this option serious consideration.
Get rid of the snow. If you have a concrete driveway and you live in a seasonal climate that includes a full winter, you may be surprised to learn that snow is not good for concrete. Granted, concrete can endure the weight of a lot of snow, but the weight of snow is not the problem. As it begins to melt, it begins to leak moisture on the surface. If that isn’t enough, the snow that piles on the edge of a concrete driveway and causes saturation to the ground that’s under the water. So, you are advised to plow or shovel even after a snowfall that is considered light.