Preparing Your Concrete Surfaces for Winter Weather

Unfortunately, cold weather in Virginia isn't always predictable and can cause severe damage to your concrete surfaces, ranging from mild to significant. Winter concrete maintenance is a necessity to ensure its longevity, keep the spaces safe, and guarantee proper function, even after the temperatures begin to rise again. Concrete is an incredibly durable surface, but constant temperature fluctuations and ice can cause cracking and scaling; these complications are often a result of inadequate winter preparation.

Step 1: Stay Ahead of the Game

It may be a little late this year to fully seal your concrete surfaces, but it's a great idea to keep it in the back of your mind for the future. Applying a concrete sealer acts as a shield, protecting the concrete against potential damage from excess water and increasing its overall lifespan. You can wait until fall to apply a high-quality winter weather sealer to any of your concrete surfaces (such as a patio or walkways) in fall before the cold weather makes its way in.

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Step 2: Ensure There’s Proper Drainage Nearby

If you already have a drainage system around your lawn, ensure they are not clogged and operating properly. If you have not opted to install a drainage system, that's another step you should take in the future to avoid concrete disasters! If moisture pools on your hardscaping surfaces and freezes, cracks may appear. Additionally, part of winter concrete maintenance involves ensuring proper drainage to avoid damaging the lawn around the surfaces.

Step 3: Remove Anything Heavy From the Surface

You should not leave anything on your patio, walkways, driveways, etc. that is overly heavy, to avoid added pressure in the lower winter temperatures. You are more likely to crack these concrete surfaces during winter with heavy loads (like furniture or cars) on them than you are in the warmer months.

Keep Surfaces Clear of Debris and Excess Liquid

Another form of concrete protection in Roanoke is to keep unnecessary clutter cleared off of them and clean up any messes that may appear. You can keep it pleasant to look at while simultaneously aiding the concrete’s ability to withstand the winter weather if you sweep off any dirt, dead leaves, and other clutter, and remove excess moisture from its surface.

Bonus Option: Winter-Ready Concrete

If you haven't invested in winter concrete protection or applied a sealant to any of your hardscaping and feel uneasy about waiting until next year, there are options! Many contractors will apply a winter-ready cold-weather mix, which is chemically designed differently from the regular sealants in warmer weather. These typically have accelerators to help set the concrete faster and include microscopic air bubbles to expand safely when frozen.

Why Choose ICC for Winter Weather Readiness?

It's easy to remember all the steps to prepare your home and family for the cold, inclement weather headed our way. However, it’s easy to forget to properly take care of the outside of our home when there seems to be so much going on this coming year. We understand that our customers have lives and jobs, and we do what we can to make each homeowner's life a little bit easier.

If you've already taken the steps to prepare your concrete surfaces for winter weather, but would like help from a well-respected team in the future, we’re here for you. Or, if you're among the many homeowners who forgot, we can set you up for success throughout the cold season with a winter concrete maintenance plan. Everyone should have access to concrete protection, and Innovative Custom Concrete is the team you need for that job!