Concrete is an essential feature for every home. Sidewalks, driveways, front porches, back patios, garage floors, house foundations, and so many other surfaces depend on good concrete to support your weight and the weight of vehicles, not to mention an entire building. Unfortunately, like most things, concrete does not last forever. Most notably, it can crack. Cracked concrete signals disrepair and poor home conditions to everyone who sees it. Some homeowners are so unlucky that their concrete cracks while it is still fresh! Even though concrete in Schenectady is affordable and easy to install, some inferior companies might lay it incorrectly or not plan the job effectively. Most of the reasons that concrete can crack over time are tied to these errors. 1. Too Much Water Concrete requires moisture in order to strengthen and hold in place. However, many companies that are not dedicated to doing good work will purposefully lay inferior concrete when working on residential properties. The company will add too much water to their mix on the construction site, diluting their materials so that less is required. You can bet that they will charge you for a full job, even when they are using a minimal amount of concrete in their mix. A company might also add too much water because that makes the mixture more fluid and easier to install. However, when excess moisture is used, the concrete is weaker. While this means that it can crack for several reasons later on, it can possibly crack during the drying process. When concrete dries, it also shrinks in size. Imagine the effect of a sun-dried tomato. As shrinkage occurs, portions of the concrete will separate as they harden. Cracks show where the separation occurs. Be sure to work with a high-quality contractor to pour good concrete that is not full of excess water. A more solid mixture might require more concrete mix and more skilled labor, but the results will be of a better quality and cracking will be less likely, immediately or in the lifetime of the surface. 2. The Wrong Kind of Concrete Did you know that there are different kinds of concrete? The various types are made in different strengths to support different amounts of force. For example, concrete for foundations must be much stronger than concrete for a driveway, which will support the weight of a vehicle at most. Sidewalk concrete is much weaker because the heaviest thing it should support is a person on a bicycle. When it comes to homes, the concrete foundation for a multi-story house must be much stronger than one for a single-story house. Weak concrete that is overburdened with weight will literally crumble under the pressure. Talk to your concrete provider to ensure that the right kind of concrete is being poured in the right places. A good company should know exactly what kind to lay based on the location and intended purpose of the site. 3. Too Few Joints Control joints, or those built-in grooves that you see in a sidewalk, must be installed in various concrete projects. These joints help absorb weight and prevent cracking. Most importantly, though, they expand and contract as the concrete itself either swells or shrinks, especially during the installation process. Should cracking occur, it is meant to be contained within the control joints, where it will not be clearly seen. A driveway, for example, that does not have a sufficient amount of control joints will crack very easily. This is what was meant by "improper planning" (see above) as a contributing factor to cracked concrete. When a concrete contractor does not plan for the correct amount of joints, the concrete can potentially sag between the joints and crack. Pieces of the slab can even separate or come loose from the surface. Try finding this error yourself. Look at a cracked driveway or sidewalk and you will find that the cracks tend to occur directly between joints. There are many other reasons that cracking can occur, including disturbances from nearby plant roots and changes that occur during cold weather. Be sure to work with a company offering concrete Schenectady that makes every effort to control and prevent immediate or long-term cracking. Grandview Block Supply & Concrete Co, Inc. http://www.grandviewblockandreadymix.com/ offers affordable masonry supplies for your construction project. When looking for concrete Schenectady visit us to request an estimate for a delivery of your masonry supplies.
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