Tips to Follow When Preparing Your Concrete Patio for Winter

It’s that time of year again. The leaves are changing color, and winter will be here before you know it. Too many homeowners in Crivitz, WI underestimate the importance of preparing their concrete patios for winter and find themselves dealing with the consequences. Follow these quick tips and find the right residential concrete contractor to help you along the way.

Clear away debris

Tidying up is one of the easiest ways to preserve your concrete patio this season. By the time autumn ends, your back yard will be covered in leaves. Debris that gets trapped under a blanket of snow will stain the concrete, and then you’re left with a mess to clean up in the spring. Enjoy the brisk autumn air while it lasts and rake up those leaves before winter hits.

Once debris is cleared away, it’s a good idea to wash your patio with an outdoor cleaning solution. Renting a power washer is very effective, but you can also attach a high-powered nozzle to your garden hose. A quick rinse goes a long way in maintaining concrete and literally gives you a clean slate to work with in the spring.

All this prep work reduces the amount of cleaning that needs to get done once the weather warms up. You’ll thank yourself for it later! Clearing away debris is also necessary before filling any gaps in the concrete. You want to make sure nothing is stuck in the joints that could damage your patio during winter.

Fill in the gaps

Though concrete is sturdy, the porous material cracks with age and is susceptible to the elements. Snow can melt and then refreeze, and water in its solid state will expand the concrete. Water that freezes in the cracks may lead to irreversible damage. Patios are quite the investment, so avoid costly repairs by filling the joints with polymeric sand. You can pick up a bucket of the stuff at your local hardware store in Crivitz, WI.

If you’re not sure how to fill concrete joints, it’s best to call in your nearest residential concrete contractor. Polymeric sand applied with inexperienced hands could do more harm than good. Hiring a professional is much cheaper in the long run than paying for a new concrete patio!

Seal with epoxy

You’ve swept the leaves and filled in the cracks. Finish the job by sealing your concrete patio with a waterproof epoxy coating. This additional step protects concrete’s porous surface and increases the durability of your patio. Epoxy prevents water from settling into vulnerable areas and creating ice damage.

Just like polymeric sand, epoxy requires the help of a skilled residential concrete contractor to apply. It’s highly toxic without proper air circulation in your workspace, and the chemicals have to be mixed just right. The intense winters of Crivitz, WI are a nightmare for concrete patios, but so are DIY projects gone wrong.

When the temperature begins to drop, that means it’s time to call in the professionals at Kwiatkowski Construction Co., Inc. We’ve been pouring concrete for over 40 years and know the best way to get your patio ready for winter. Send a quick message to get started!

Categorised in: Concrete Patios

This post was written by Writer