Time to Plan and Complete Your Final Concrete Projects of 2020.
With the morning air becoming crisper and the start of autumn just two weeks away it is time to buckle down and get those concrete project plans completed and carried out before the weather gets to be too much of a challenge.
Come and see us for Utah’s premier professional quality self-hauling concrete products.
Time to Plan and Complete Your Final Concrete Projects of 2020
With the morning air becoming crisper and the start of autumn just two weeks away it is time to buckle down and get those concrete project plans completed and carried out before the weather gets to be too much of a challenge.
Come and see us for Utah’s premier professional quality self-hauling concrete products.
Whether you have a large concrete driveway or a small concrete patio, you want to extend the life of the flatwork and keep it looking great for a long time. Knowing how to maintain concrete can be the difference between concrete that grabs attention versus concrete that people are scared to walk on. Thankfully, maintaining concrete is a simple task that you can handle on your own.
Clean your concrete.
If you want to keep your concrete looking good, you need to clean it. Cleaning your concrete can help remove dirt and debris and give the final form an attractive look. There are different ways to clean concrete, so find the option that makes the most sense for your specific need.
Seal your concrete.
Sealing your concrete can help extend the life and keep it looking great. There are different types of concrete sealers available. Topical sealers can be applied to the surface of the concrete every few years in order to prevent staining and surface damage. Always be sure to seal the concrete according to the manufacturer’s directions.
Remove stains immediately.
Although your concrete sealer will help protect your concrete, it’s still a good idea to clean stains and spills from concrete as soon as they happen. For example, if you notice that your car leaked oil on your concrete driveway, clean the oil from the driveway as soon as possible. This will help prevent any discoloration or staining from occurring, which will help your concrete look better.
Limit your weight.
Concrete is a very strong and durable material, but residential concrete pours are not designed to hold extremely heavy materials. For example, while your driveway is perfectly capable of handling the weight of your everyday vehicle, it’s not equipped to handle heavy machinery or oversized vehicles like delivery trucks or moving trucks. Make sure these vehicles remain on the street and keep heavy machinery somewhere other than your driveway in order to maintain the life of your concrete.
Avoid the wrong chemicals.
It’s very important that you refrain from using certain chemicals on your concrete. For example, certain deicers can actually work through the sealer and harm the concrete. Fertilizers can also stain your concrete, so be sure to remove any excess or spillage from your concrete right away. You should also be sure to use a cleaner specific to concrete, as some household products may do more harm than good. Make sure to thoroughly read instructions and disclaimers on products before using on concrete.
(http://blog.ozinga.com/how-to-maintain-concrete)
BLOG.OZINGA.COM
How to Maintain Concrete
Spring is a great time to pour concrete! Many people think that the best time to pour and finish concrete is on a sunny, breezy, hot day, but the best results can be achieved when concrete is poured on an overcast, damp day with an air temperature around the mid to high 50's. If the temperature were to stay in this range for three to four days, it would be ideal.
"Air-entrained concrete is ordinary concrete that contains controlled amounts of air in the form of microscopic bubbles. These intentionally entrained air bubbles are extremely small. They range in size from a few thousandths of an inch in diameter to a few hundredths. There are literally billions of these air bubbles in a single cubic foot of air-entrained concrete, and their presence dramatically changes the nature of both the fresh and hardened concrete. The primary benefit of entrained air in hardened concrete however is the resistance it offers to freeze-thaw damage and scaling caused by de-icing salts or chemicals. Most concrete contains some moisture which expands during freezing temperatures. Without room for this expansion, large forces develop that can rupture the surface causing what is commonly called surface scaling. The small, entrained air bubbles serve as reservoirs or expansion chambers to relieve these pressures. Research has shown that the spacing and size of air bubbles are important in assuring their proper action. To be effective, bubbles must be spaced not more then .01 inches apart throughout the cement paste. Using today's methods of entraining air, it is not difficult to obtain this bubble spacing. Some common questions about air-entrained concrete are: does air entrainment reduce strength; does it affect the proportions of a concrete mixture; and can it be used in mild climates. The strength of air-entrained concrete depends on the water/cement ratio as it does in non-air-entrained concrete. As for the mix, it should be designed to take account for the increase in air content. The water content for an air-entrained mix will be 3 to 5 gallons per cubic yard less than for a non-air-entrained mix having the same slump. The sand content will also be less by about 90 to 125 pounds per cubic yard. As for climate, air-entrained concrete is recommended and used considerably in southern climates."
William Panarese
We believe AA U-Cart has the best mix in the state and with carts that dump much better than our competitors.
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