Concrete is a popular paving material for parking lots and commercial properties. It is cheap and requires little maintenance, making it a better option than asphalt in some cases, despite it being harder to install. Another plus point of concrete is that it can last you decades with proper care.
If you are interested in getting a concrete pavement installed on your commercial property, then contact Action Asphalt. We offer reliable commercial paving solutions to clients in Vacaville, California. Click here to get a quote.
Yet how can you know what to do and what to avoid when you don’t know anything about concrete paving. So, if you want to keep your concrete surface as good as new, then it’s time you learn more about it.
You do not have to dig in too deep. After all, your contractor will be doing all the heavy lifting, but you need to know enough. Below are a few things that you should know about concrete.
- Generally, a concrete surface’s service life is 30 to 50 years and can further be increased through regular maintenance like crack repair and seal coating.
- Most concrete mixes consist of 60-75% aggregate, 15% water and cement, and 5-8% air.
- Concrete is a material that becomes stronger with time. The carbon dioxide in the air gets absorbed by the calcium hydroxide in the cement to form calcium carbonate.
- Concrete sealing can be done no sooner than 28 days after installation because it takes the concrete a month to cure fully and the excess moisture in the pavement to evaporate.
- Concrete needs to be resealed after every two to five years, depending on traffic, type of sealant, and more.
- Reactive chemical sealers will last 10 years or more.
- Epoxy or urethane system lasts 5 to 10 years.
- Acrylic-resin sealers last 1 to 3 years.
- Concrete pavements are durable and long-wearing, which is why they can easily support the weight of heavy equipment and heavy-duty vehicles like campers and large trucks. Concrete is ideal for paving loading docks, dumpster pads, and parking lots.
- There are different types of concrete paving, including poured concrete, stamped concrete, and concrete pavers.
- Concrete is a versatile material, so there is a lot of room for creative expression. Concrete can feature different designs, textures, and colors (dyes mixed before paving).
- Concrete is susceptible to some types of damage, including Cracking (due to a bad mix, overly fast hardening or curing, ground settling, or lack of control joints), Settling (due to moisture and thaw and freeze cycle), and Flaking/Spalling (due to incorrect hardening or curing, or weather shifts during concrete installation).
- Concrete pavements do not require as much maintenance as asphalt surfaces like patching.
- Using deicing salts accelerates concrete deterioration, causes cracking and spalling, and corrosion of reinforcement.
Do you want to get a concrete surface installed but have no prior experience managing or maintaining a concrete pavement? Keep the facts mentioned above in mind, and find the right contractor.
Action Asphalt offers cost-effective asphalt paving and maintenance solutions to commercial clients in Vacaville, California. Click here to get a quote.
