When the winter weather comes, every business’s first concert is getting rid of the snow and ice that prevent customers and clients from accessing commercial premises. Parking lots, entryways and pavements can all become dangerous slipping hazards that negatively impact foot traffic.
Ice management, however, should always consider the ground beneath the ice. Without proper care and attention given to your outdoor surfaces, your concrete and asphalt could become so damaged that it needs to be repaired or replaced entirely within a few short years.
At Earth Development, we take this seriously. Not only do our local snow removal experts take precautions to protect your outdoor surfaces, but we also bring you great advice right here on our website.
Here are three steps to help you protect our concrete from damage this winter.
Step One: Maintenance, Maintenance, Maintenance!
Properly maintaining your concrete surfaces outdoors is the first step in protecting it from damage. The moment you see cracks forming, it’s best to take action and mend those cracks. If water and salt find their way into those cracks, there will be a nasty combination of corrosion and freeze-thaw action which will see that crack gets bigger and bigger.
You can choose how you want to fix those cracks, whether it’s a matter of replacing the concrete or using special crack-filing sealants…which moves us along nicely into step two.
Step Two: Seal All Surfaces
Sealing concrete surfaces is an excellent way of ensuring that moisture doesn’t soak into your concrete surfaces. Water exploits vulnerabilities in rock and concrete, and any steps you can take to stop that from happening will prolong the life of that surface.
If you have stayed on top of your concrete and repaired cracks throughout the year, you’ll be all set to apply sealant to your concrete surfaces. An acrylic sealant forms a strong layer over the top of the concrete, stopping water, debris, and salt from getting inside.
The sealant also stops the salt from attracting moisture to the surface of the concrete and causing corrosion. The greater the barrier between the concrete and salt, the better.
Not only does a high-quality sealant provide protection from water, but it also keeps the top of the concrete surface looking clean and new, and even maintains a grippy feel on the top. Perfect for those slippery winter months.
Step Three: Avoid Salt Where You Can
Finally, it’s always smart to avoid using plain salt as a deicing agent. At Earth Development, we combine regular rock salt with other quality deicers, including Calcium Chloride, to minimize the impact that these agents have on your concrete.
Salt doesn’t react with concrete, but it does attract moisture to the surface. It creates a corrosive effect that can, in a fairly short period, make your concrete surfaces vulnerable to flaking and cracking.
With an expert at hand to help, you can ensure that the right combination of deicing agents are used that will protect our outdoor surfaces…but following the first two steps will help with this, too!
Let the Experts Care For Your Concrete
The best way to ensure your outdoor surfaces are not compromised during winter ice management is to employ the help of local experts. Earth Development offers reliable contractors who know how to take care of all kinds of outdoor surfaces, from concrete to asphalt.
For more advice, a free quote, or to book a consultation at your property, call the Earth Development team today. We’ll get you prepared for the winter weather, and help keep your outdoor surfaces in top shape.
