Home Style Decorating

For years people have been trying to keep the concrete in and around their property as attractive and appealing as their home and the surrounding landscape but sad to say that we have always been defeated by the appearance of cracks on the concrete. So what exactly causes concrete to crack and what kind of concrete repair is available so that we won’t have to live with the unsightly look of cracked concrete forever?
Concrete cracks are pretty much inevitable because of a combination of factors that come from the uncontrollable Mother Nature.

Shrinkage is the main cause of cracked concrete. When concrete is poured, it is mixed with water to make it easier to work with. As the concrete dries and hardens, it also shrinks because the water from the mixture evaporates. Stresses in the concrete can develop if it is mixed with too much water, because a lot of water in also means a lot of evaporation and shrinkage which can result in a cracked surface. When concrete is poured, structures in and around the concrete may also restrain the shrinkage process. This, too, can cause cracks to appear. To help alleviate this problem, joints are placed in the concrete to “tell” the concrete where to crack. This helps eliminate the unsightly problem of random cracking. Cracks can also appear when water evaporates from the surface of freshly laid concrete faster than the concrete beneath it.

When the temperature rises and falls, it causes concrete to expand and contract. With temperature fluctuations, it is possible for the temperature of the interior concrete to increase and expand while the surface concrete is cool and contracts. If the temperature difference becomes too great, cracks may appear.

All buildings and structures settle over time. As the soil underneath concrete slabs settle or washout, the concrete foundation will become unevenly supported. This disproportionate support is not only likely to result in a cracked foundation, but it will also likely become extremely unstable and unsafe.

Concrete is held together with reinforcing steel and when the embedded metal corrodes, rust forms on the metal and takes up more space than the metal alone. As the rust grows and stretches inside the concrete, the increasing stress will eventually cause the concrete to crack.

Even minor cracks in concrete can grow larger and more serious over time. When you notice cracks in the concrete in and around your property, have them repaired as quickly as possible to avoid further damage and prevent safety hazards. Concrete repairs can be challenging so be sure to choose a reputable professional who will not only do quality work, but who will also educate their customers about the causes and consequences of cracked concrete.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.