Tips for Maintaining your Concrete

Outdoor decorative concrete is an investment of a lifetime, but sadly in most cases due to poor maintenance and other natural factors it severely degrades and deteriorates. A lot of people are of the opinion that if you invest in a concrete surface once, you can sit back and relax. But, often times there is more work involved than that.

Tips You Should Know to Maintain your Concrete

In order to sustain the virility of your concrete, you need to maintain it regularly and in this article, we will share with you tips and tricks on how to do the same.

Master your Environment

One of the most significant factors that determine the life of your concrete flooring is the environment in which you reside.

Around the globe, in most places, summer and winter are the seasons where outdoor concrete takes the most amount of stress and damage.

It is mostly due to huge fluctuations in temperature and thus as an owner, you need to plan proper counter-measures for this.

If you are living in an area of extreme climate changes, make sure you regularly slope the concrete with a chisel and see to it that the concrete doesn’t get any cracks.

A crack is often the first sign of intermittent damage and thus should be taken care of immediately.

Pouring and Curing

Most people aren’t aware of the fact that the most suitable temperature to pour concrete and make sure that it cures efficiently is between 50 to 90 degree Celsius.

Temperature extremes on either or both ends will lead to a compromise in strength and even durability and resistance.

For example, if the temperature outside is freezing, the concrete will take longer to cure, thus exposing itself to the risk of cracks; while on the other hand if the temperature outside is too hot, the concrete will cure faster, making it less strong and durable.

Thus, before pouring your concrete take note of the temperature outside and determine if it is the right time to do the same.

Keep it Clean

The concrete on your patio is meant to go through a lot of wear tear, but at the same, it is necessary that you keep it clean during all times.

Keeping it dirty and unkempt might not be of much concern now, but sooner or later you will begin to realize that this filth has a toll on the durability of your investment.

Therefore, it is always advisable that you take out time from your busy schedule and clean the outdoor concrete regularly and also apply a concrete sealer to protect it from future stains.

A Fresh Finish

Nothing looks more appealing than a fresh finish on top of your old outdoor concrete. Initially, it might seem like a lot of work, but applying a fresh layer of finish once every 2 years will increase the lifetime of your outdoor patio substantially.

You can either reach out to a general contractor near you and seek their help in doing the same or you can do it yourself.

Conclusion

As a homeowner, you should always want your investments to last you a lifetime and if you abide by the aforementioned tips and tricks, we are sure you can do the same.

Hitech concrete is one of the concrete contractors in the construction industry. Starting from expert pouring and curing to regular maintenance, their professional services can help you in every aspect.