Concrete Maintenance
Concrete Maintenance Tips in the Summer 
When temperatures change with the seasons, concrete is constantly expanding and shrinking. As temperatures rise in the summertime, concrete tends to expand. This constant expansion and shrinkage can cause cracks if concrete is not properly maintained.
It’s important to routinely clean your concrete surfaces with a pressure washer or hose; a bit of soap won’t hurt either! Once the surface is rinsed thoroughly and has time to dry, consider applying a concrete sealer. Concrete sealers can be purchased at our BuilderUp retail locations and should be applied approximately every 2 years depending on how heavily trafficked your concrete surface is. Additionally, using a concrete cleaner once a year will help keep your concrete looking new and fresh!
Caring for Concrete in Winter Weather 
Many homeowners experience disappointment when their new concrete pavement comes out of its first winter season with signs of scaling, which is the flaking and peeling of the concrete surface. To keep this from happening to your new concrete pavement, be sure take these precautions:
-
Avoid applying de-icing chemicals to concrete less than two years old; use traction sand as a substitute for de-icing chemicals.
- Avoid using calcium or salt on your pavement, regardless of the age, and never use products containing ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate (fertilizer). These chemicals are often packaged and sold as de-icers, but they will rapidly disintegrate the concrete.
- After the second winter, if heavy concentrations of chloride will be used as de-icers, apply a concrete sealer in the fall for protection.
- Don’t allow snow and ice to accumulate on the slab during the first winter—keep it cleaned off!
- Hose off accumulation of salt deposited by cars on newly placed driveways and garage slabs.