Discover how winter’s freeze-thaw cycles wreak havoc on your slabs, and how to keep your concrete safe through the holiday festivities and beyond.
♫"Rock salt's melting on an open driveway, winter nipping at your slab..."♫ Winter might bring holiday cheer along with it, but without proper preparation, your concrete could end up on more than just your spring “to-do” list… it could also find itself on the naughty list.
Fortunately, at A-1 Concrete Leveling, we offer more than just concrete repair solutions. We also want you to have as many resources as possible to make the best decisions for safer, longer-lasting concrete.
So in this article, not only do we cover the types of damage concrete can suffer from cold, but also a “nice list” of ways to keep it safe during the winter season and long after your fireplace cracks its last crackle.
What’s Behind the Chill?
Just like your local radio station sounding like a broken record this time of year, winter brings a playlist of its own — its number one hit single? “Constant Freezing and Thawing Temperatures.”
When temperatures rise above freezing, then dip below, water inside the concrete expands and contracts, putting strain on its structure. In areas where temperatures often play this up-and-down game, winter weather can cause damage that’s hard to repair.
And don’t worry, we cover our recommended solutions to mitigating that damage later in the article!
Freeze-Thaw Cycle Damage (The Naughty List)
We hope you kept your receipts because here are a few “gifts” from dropping temperatures that your concrete would like to return:
1. Spalling & Pitting: A Flaky Affair
Concrete is porous, like a sponge, so when winter moisture seeps in, freezes, and expands, the concrete’s pores pop, leaving behind surface damage like spalling (flaking) and pitting (small pits or holes).
2. Heaving: The Rise and Fall of Your Slab
When winter hits, your concrete might start moving up and down as temperatures change. It’s called heaving, and it happens when soil moisture expands as it freezes.
If you’ve got clay-rich soil under your slab, the impact can be even more noticeable. Keeping moisture out by caulking cracks ahead of time is one way to keep your concrete slab in place!
Pro Tip: This heaving motion can even cause your slabs to become permanently uneven by shifting and changing the position of the underlying base materials.
3. Cracking: The Gift that Keeps on Giving (But Not in a Good Way)
Freeze-thaw cycles can take tiny cracks and turn them into big problems. As water in the cracks freezes, it expands, causing even larger cracks to form, allowing more water in, and so on.
Unsealed cracks are an invitation for more damage over time, so caulking them ahead of time can keep your concrete safe and sound.
How to Winter-Proof Your Concrete: “The Nice (To-Do) List”
Cold can be a “Grinch” to concrete, so here’s a checklist to keep it safe through the holiday season:
Step 1: Clean and Seal
Before the first freeze, start with a clean slate by power washing away grime, then apply a penetrating sealer to create a water-resistant barrier.
Why seal? A good sealer makes water bead up and roll off rather than getting absorbed into the slab, helping to prevent freeze-thaw damage.
Step 2: Caulk Cracks
Caulking is like wrapping up cracks and joints with a neat little bow, preventing water from sneaking into places it shouldn’t go. We recommend filling cracks with flexible caulk meant especially for concrete to help keep the cold out and your concrete snug all winter.
Pro Tip: Only some of the products in big box stores sold for crack repair are actually flexible. Those that aren’t flexible may fail after the first freeze-thaw cycle of the hundreds you might experience in winter.
Read More: How To Caulk Concrete Cracks
Step 3: Avoid De-Icing Salt
Though it may be tempting to toss down de-icing salt, that “quick fix” can be a real holiday humbug for your concrete. Salt may prevent slips, but it can also damage your concrete from the inside out.
How Salt Harms Concrete
Salt sneaks into concrete’s pores, breaking down its structure and accelerating freeze-thaw cycles.
Alternatives (That You Already Own)
Use non-chemical options like sand, or even a sprinkle of cat litter, to add traction without causing damage.
Read More: Does Salt Damage Concrete? + Alternatives to Salt
Step 4: Remove Snow ASAP
Leaving snow to linger on your concrete is like wearing a soggy holiday sweater — without the compliments and with more problems! Removing snow promptly minimizes the chance for moisture to creep into your concrete’s pores.
Pro Tip: Use a plastic snow shovel to avoid scratching the surface, and consider a snow blower for larger areas. The quicker you clear snow, the happier your concrete will be all season long.
The Ultimate Wintertime Concrete Care List
Constant freezing and thawing temperatures can do a holiday number on your slabs. Help your concrete spread a little cheer this winter and avoid the damage by following these holiday prep steps:
- Clean and seal to keep water from soaking in.
- Caulk cracks to block water from worsening damage.
- Use traction-enhancers instead of chemical de-icers.
- Remove accumulated snow ASAP.
If you’d like extra help getting your concrete holiday-ready, A-1 Concrete Leveling offers repair and maintenance services at 30+ locations nationwide. Request a free estimate for a fix that will last well beyond the winter season!
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Find out how much safe, beautiful concrete will cost you with a free onsite estimate from an A-1 franchise near you.
