Ever see a concrete driveway crack? We’ve been installing
concrete
driveways in Minneapolis for many years, and have seen several instances of
concrete driveways cracking. There’s a number of reasons concrete driveways get
a crack or two or three or more.
Sodium
Concrete will fluctuate when the temperature changes. It’ll
expand in the heat and contract in the cold. Ultimately, these can cause a
concrete driveway to crack. But, the biggest offender is usually deicing salt.
Unfortunately, this is a necessity in the Minneapolis winter, but it can wreak
havoc on a concrete driveway. When the ice speeds up the melting of the snow,
the moisture from the snow and ice will seep into the concrete and will freeze.
This will create pressure, thus causing cracking.
Therefore, it’s recommended to use a salt alternative and
to salt your concrete driveway at least once a year.
Summer
As noted previously, concrete fluctuates in the weather.
Well, when the summer sun bakes on your driveway all day and then gets cool at
night, cracks can occur. It’s recommended you apply a good acrylic silicone
solvent-based sealer to your driveway in order to help it safeguard against
cracks. You can also repair cracks with dry packing; routing and sealing
techniques; or an epoxy injection.
Weight
Does your concrete driveway have more weight on it that
it can withstand? If so, you’re risking cracks. The majority of driveways
around Minneapolis are designed to hold less than 10,000 lbs. of weight. If you
have a large truck of RV on your driveway, you might have noticed some cracks.
If you intend on your driveway holding more than 10,000 lbs., then opt for a
thicker driveway or park the larger vehicles elsewhere.
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