Fall is passing quickly, and we all know what comes next. To paraphrase a quote from this summer’s Avengers: Infinity War:

“Dread it. Run from it. Winter arrives all the same.”

Of course, some people really like winter. They love the snow fall. They love sitting inside, under a blanket, reading a book. And that’s great for them.

Whether you love or hate winter, there’s no denying that winter takes a toll on things. Especially concrete. What exactly does winter do to concrete? Let’s take a closer look at what exactly winter does to concrete.

Cold, Ice, and Salt that Doesn’t Play Nice

Winter comes with a lot of temperature fluctuations. As temperatures lower, concrete contracts. When the weather warms up, it expands. During winter nights, the air gets especially cold. Then, when the sun rises the next day and shines on the concrete, it can warm up quite a bit.

This causes the concrete to enter a constant cycle of shrinking and expanding that can create cracks. Cracks are a natural part of concrete, but winter makes them a little more prominent.

And then there’s the ice. Icy concrete is a serious safety hazard for people during the winter time. All it takes is one misplaced step, and next thing you know, you’re hitting the ground. One of the most popular and effective ways of addressing this is with salt.

However, salt is highly damaging to concrete. For how solid it is, concrete is surprisingly porous. When salt interacts with ice, it melts it into a salty-water mixture. This water then sinks into the surface of the concrete and refreezes, damaging the surface of the concrete.

What Can You Do About It?

When it comes to ice, there are some ice-melt products that advertise being safe for concrete. Your best option, however, is to utilize sand to cover up ice-patches and/or physically removing the ice with a shovel once you’re able to.

As for the shrinking and expanding that comes with winter, there’s not a lot you can do to stop that from happening. When spring comes, you may have some new cracks in your cement.

But there’s good news.

Concrete crack repair is a simple, effective, and affordable way to fix your concrete surfaces. Though it won’t look quite brand new, crack repair can improve appearances and keep cracks from getting worse. For more severe damage, you may want to consider concrete resurfacing.

Either way, it’s a job best left to professionals. Done incorrectly, these methods waste money and can even damage your concrete. For concrete resurfacing and concrete repair in Ohio, contact Select Flooring Systems today!