Why Do Concrete Driveways Crack?

A clean, smooth driveway provides the perfect entryway to your abode. Cracked concrete driveways, however, can give your property an unkempt appearance and may even cause long-term damage to your car’s suspension system, depending on the severity of the cracks.

If your concrete driveway is cracked, it may be time to call for the help of a residential concrete contractor. Properly diagnosing the cause of your driveway’s cracks is the first important step to properly repairing it. A qualified contractor can identify the root cause of your driveway’s problems from one of many potential factors:

• Bad foundation: If your driveway was built without the help of licensed, qualified residential concrete contractors in Crivitz, WI, it may not have a solid foundation. In cases where the driveway’s foundation is at issue, extensive work will need to be done in order to both repair the driveway and lay a better foundation.
• Winter conditions: The freeze-thaw cycle that is all too common in Wisconsin’s damp Midwestern winters is notoriously hard on all sorts of infrastructure. Concrete is naturally porous, meaning that when water meets it, it is absorbed with relative ease. When temperatures dip below freezing, the water hardens and expands, damaging the concrete. Salting your driveway can actually make the problem even worse by infiltrating the surface of the concrete and attracting water. When having your driveway repaired by residential concrete contractors in Crivitz, WI, you can opt to have a sealant installed that will mitigate damage caused by the freeze-thaw cycle.
• Tree roots: Trees, whether they are decorative or for food production, are notoriously rough on concrete. Even if your tree is yards away from the concrete in question, its roots could still be penetrating the driveway, causing it to crack and become uneven in some areas. Putting in a tree root barrier when installing a new driveway or repairing an existing one is an excellent way to protect your concrete from the ravages of nature.
• Heavy vehicles: Any vehicles or loads carrying more than 10,000 pounds could be causing substantial damage to your concrete driveway, especially if they are resting there for extended periods of time. Heavy loads on concrete can cause small, virtually invisible cracks to form. These cracks are especially susceptible to freeze-thaw damage when winter arrives. If you frequently have heavy loads present on your driveway, there may be options that your residential concrete contractor can use to increase your driveway’s longevity.
• Sharp objects: Any number of sharp objects could be causing permanent damage to your concrete driveway. Devices such as studded winter tires, snow blower blades and snow shovels can all cause chips and cracks to form in your concrete driveway. These chips could cause the winter freeze-thaw cycle to affect your driveway more severely.

The team at Kwiatkowski Construction Co., Inc. has been the premier residential concrete contractors for Crivitz, WI since 1977! Whether you are hoping to repair an existing and damaged driveway or are looking for help on a new construction project, our expert team is here to help. Contact us today to learn more about our services.

Categorised in: Residential Concrete Contractors

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