3 Steps To Take To Get Your Concrete Ready For Winter
Before fall wraps up and winter really hits, you need to get your outside concrete ready for winter. Here are the three steps that you need to take to prepare your concrete for winter.
#1 Clean Your Concrete
The first thing you need to do is clean the concrete around your house. The concrete around your house will have accumulated a lot of dirt on it throughout the year. It is a good idea to clean your concrete off before winter hits; the cold temperatures can really allow dirt stains to set in your concrete.
To start with, use a leaf blower to get rid of all the loose leafs that may be covering your concrete and to get rid of any other loose debris. Then, use a power washer to apply a cleaning solution to your concrete and follow up by rinsing away the cleaning solution and any loose dirt.
When you use the power washer, make sure that you are covered head to toe with clothing; the pressure from the power washer can be really strong and can hurt you. You should also wear protective eyewear to protect your eye from any flying debris.
#2 Fill In Any Cracks
After you are done cleaning the concrete, you are going to want to inspect it for cracks. You don't want to leave cracks untreated during the winter months; water can get inside of them, expand, and cause the crack to get even larger.
You can fill the cracks with concrete repair caulking. This will seal up the cracks and keep them from spreading during the winter months. After you fill the cracks, go back and few days later and make sure that the crack is properly filled; sometimes the caulking shrinks as it dries.
#3 Seal Your Concrete
Finally, to really protect your concrete, you are going to want to apply a coat of sealant. A coat of sealant will help keep water from getting into any cracks that you didn't notice and ruining your concrete. A coat of sealant will also protect your driveway from the wear and tear of salt and other chemicals used to melt the ice and snow off your driveway.
You can purchase concrete sealant at your local home improvement store. You will also need a long handled painting brush so you can brush it onto your concrete. Start at the edge of the concrete closest to your house, and apply it outwards towards the edge of your property or lawn. Be sure to keep yourself, vehicles, and pets off your concrete for a few days while the sealant dries.
If you take the three steps above every winter, your outside concrete will last for a long time. For more information, contact companies like Claggett & Sons Inc.