There is nothing more beautiful than the concrete you had poured on your property; whether it was for a patio, driveway, walkway or other purpose. When concrete is done right, it looks nice. It can be frustrating when that beautiful concrete starts to show signs of cracking though. It can leave homeowners panicking that the concrete isn’t as structurally sound as it used to be. JD’s Concrete is here to talk about concrete cracks and what causes them.
Concrete Needs to Expand
When concrete is subject to extremely hot weather, it needs to be able to expand. Usually, concrete will push up against another object as it expands; whether it’s another slab or a paving stone, if there is no give, it can cause the concrete to start cracking.
Plastic Shrinkage Cracks in Concrete
Before concrete has completely dried, it is in what is called a plastic state. In this state, it is still full of water and as that water starts to disappear during the curing process, the concrete gets smaller. During this shrinkage, it can cause cracks. These small cracks can happen as soon as a few hours after the slab is poured and finished. In most cases, they aren’t a threat to the structure though.
Settlement Cracks in Concrete
If there is any settling on the ground beneath the concrete, it can cause problems. This is why preparing the ground beneath concrete is so important. This usually happens when the soil is completely saturated and becomes too soft. Concrete is heavy and can compact the soil as well.
Heaving Concrete Slabs
The ground that is underneath concrete is constantly going through a freezing and thawing cycle in many areas. When the ground freezes it can actually raise several inches. As that ground thaws out, it will shrink down again. This can sometimes cause cracking in concrete. Unless that concrete can raise up and lower evenly, you will see that cracks appear. Another reason for heaving may be roots that have grown under the concrete from nearby trees.
Concrete Cracking when Drying
Sometimes, when concrete is poured, it dries too quickly. This can lead to what is called crazing cracks. They look much like spider webs as they are extremely fine cracks, and there are usually a lot of them. While they look awful, they aren’t a threat to your structure.
Overloading Concrete Causes Cracks
Sometimes, it’s hard to remember that there are weight limits when it comes to concrete. It seems like such a strong material that many people make the mistake of having too much weight on the concrete which leads to cracking. This is a problem similar to settling.
Concrete Services in Huffman, Crosby, Spring, The Woodlands, Atascocita & Greater NE Houston Texas
If you have cracks in your concrete and are worried they are making your concrete less structurally stable, you can count on the experts at JD’s Concrete to inspect it and make sure your concrete is stable. If you are in need of new concrete, we’ve got you covered. Call us today for your concrete needs.
