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What may look like a small crack on your concrete driveway could break your back and cause to spend thousands of dollars in hospital bills and rehabilitation. There are different reasons why concrete driveways develop cracks and even though you can never expect to have a driveway that is completely crack free, you can easily avoid most of them is you know what causes them in the first place. Stop the Sodium: Temperature changes cause fluctuations in the concrete on your driveway; the expansion during hot periods and contractions in cold periods will definitely cause a crack to occur. If you live in an area where winter brings snow and ice you will need to do something about your driveway. Most people use salt to dissipate the ice without knowing the negative impact it has on a concrete driveway. The moisture that comes as a result melting ice and snow that permeates the concrete freezes inside the concrete leading to pressure that causes cracking. Similarly when salt re-crystallizes inside the pores in concrete damages their structure; you should apply sealant once a year or use sand instead of salt. Take care of the sunny side: The same way that winter brings extreme conditions is the same way that summer will do. Concrete on your driveway expands considerably during the day and falls back when night falls. You can protect your concrete driveway from adverse effects by applying an acrylic silicone based sealer so as to protect it from cracking. A good epoxy injection should also be able to repair cracks; there are also other methods such as dry packing or sealing and routing for crack stability. An issue with weight: One major reason why many residential concrete driveways crack is as a result more weight than what the concrete can handle structurally. Most of the residential driveways you know are designed with not more than four inches of concrete which can only handle up to 10,000 lbs. the truth of the matter is that most family cars and especially SUVs and trucks weigh more than10, 000 lbs. and this will definitely cause a problem. Your concrete pouring contractor should use rebar or wire mesh to support the concrete or make the concrete at least six inches thick if you intend to drive or park on it. Good Hiring Practices: Many issues to do with the cracking of concrete driveways will have their genesis with the initial concrete pouring job. You must therefore make sure that your driveway contractor has the skills and right equipment to do the right job from the very beginning. Cracks could happen on your concrete driveway but you can add to its longevity and minimize cracking by hiring a qualified concrete pouring contractor. This article is penned by Richard who has worked in the concrete pouring industry for over 6 years now and is currently employed with Bama Concrete Finishing of Alabama. The company is one of the leading sidewalk construction company and drive way construction in the area. The company takes up both residential work and commercial work and offer services in Huntsville, Gadsden and Birmingham areas.
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