Concrete Can Suffer When the Weather is Cold and Wet

With all the recent rains and freezing temperatures, you may have noticed that your concrete driveway, patio or other paved surface is showing signs of stress. Houston paving contractors receive a lot of calls after inclement weather.  Whether it is caused by excess water or extreme heat or cold, A Houston paving repair requires that you know a little bit about what you are facing.

Spalled concrete damage is usually little more than cosmetic. Your concrete may look dirty, chalky, or discolored. Conversely, your concrete may be in need of more serious repairs.  Weather sometimes damages concrete surfaces so badly that a total replacement is needed.  Therefore, you must first determine what kind of concrete failure, if any, has occurred and what has caused that failure.

Sometimes your Houston concrete paving might be cracked due to an incorrectly packed subbase. If this is what has happened, simply making a surface repair will only result in another crack soon thereafter. On the other hand, if the subbase was correctly compacted, a simple surface repair may correct the problem.

After a thorough investigation, a trained professional will be able to tell you if you need to do one of the following:

• Properly prepare the surface in the affected area, and simply cover the minor cosmetic damage that has occurred.  This is called an overlay. An overlay is often all a property owner needs to create the aesthetically pleasing surface they desire.
• Cut around the edges of a damaged area without cutting or replacing the reinforcing steel that gives the concrete its added strength. A partial-depth repair is more involved than a surface overlay, but it still does not require you to undertake a complete replacement.
• Remove the damaged area completely, replacing the reinforcing steel and creating a new area of concrete. This is called a full-depth repair.  This type of repair is a worst-case scenario, but it may ultimately be what you need.

Whether your concrete project is big or small, Corestone Paving and Construction will inspect any concrete issues you have and provide an honest opinion about what needs to be done. This gives you the opportunity to make an informed decision about how to proceed. They can be contacted at 281-651-0616 for all of your Houston paving repair, removal, demolition and site stabilization needs.