As a homeowner or business owner, you want to do everything you can to keep your property safe and beautiful, including properly maintaining your concrete surfaces. For some, this may mean frequently inspecting concrete surfaces and removing potentially harmful debris. Unfortunately, there are several defects and conditions that can leave your concrete looking less than appealing, and many of them are not the result of improper maintenance. Various defects can be caused by different conditions, and in today’s blog, we’ll review a few of the most common concrete defects.
At Tilted Concrete Solutions, we are proud to be a leading concrete raising company in the Houston area. If you have cracked, sunken concrete surfaces, we’d love to help you restore safety and beauty to your property. Call us at today for a free estimate!
Four Common Concrete Conditions
Because concrete is a mixture of gravel, sand, cement, and water, anything from improper composition to faulty installation can be a recipe for defects. Below, we’ll review a few of the more common defects that affect concrete.
Crazing
Have you ever noticed how some slabs of concrete seem to have a million tiny, surface level cracks? These cracks are so small and irregular that they often have the appearance of a cracked egg shell. This condition is referred to as crazing and is an indication that the slab was subjected to surface shrinkage. This shrinkage can be caused by excessively high temperatures of wind, premature use of floats and trowels, or other improper installation techniques.
Spalling
Also referred to as scaling, this is a very common surface failure condition. When a hardened slab is spalling, the top surface of it will begin to break and chip away in very thin pieces. These pieces usually range from between 1/16” and 3/16”. This typically occurs when water entering the surface of the slab and forces it to pop off, peel, or flake off. For newly placed slabs, spalling can be caused by freeze and thaw cycles while the surface is curing. It may also be caused by the use of ice melts and faulty workmanship.
Dusting
Another common concrete condition occurs when a powdery dust begins to appear on the surface of a concrete slab. Depending on the composition of the concrete, the dusty substance may look different, but it is usually somewhere between gray and white. This condition can be caused by many things, including improper composition, premature use of floats and trowels, exposure to carbon dioxide fumes, too much or too little humidity, and improper curing.
Cracking
In addition to spalling, dusting, and surface-level crazing, concrete slabs may also begin to experience cracking. Cracking is different from crazing because the breaks in the slab go much deeper than surface level, sometimes traveling all the way through the slab. Cracking can be caused by many things, including settling and heaving of the slab, and it can create unsightly concrete surfaces that creates a tripping hazard for guests.
Concrete Raising Houston
Whether you are a homeowner or a business owner, settled, cracking slabs are more than just an eyesore for your Houston property. These surfaces present a safety hazard for anyone who comes on your property, exposing you to potential legal action in the event someone is injured while visiting you. Tilted Concrete Solutions is here to help you restore your concrete surfaces! We have the skill and experience to perform concrete raising services on any slab around your property, and we’ll back it up with an industry-leading two-year warranty.
Call today to get started! We look forward to speaking with you!
