Summertime and the living is easy with pool parties, graduation celebrations, the kids out of school, and backyard patio lounging. Though summertime is nearing an end and the kids are getting ready to return to school, summer’s effects are still felt here in Kansas City. July is historically the hottest month in Kansas City, but temps don’t start to cool until mid-late September.
Though summertime is loved by many, the heat can negatively impact our cooling bills and even our home’s exterior. Home components like gutter systems, roofs, and even our concrete walkways, patios, and sidewalks can get damaged by the sweltering summer heat and high humidity. Continue reading to learn the effects of summer on concrete, how the season can damage your concrete walkways, patios, and sidewalks, and how to fix them.
How Summer Damages Concrete
We all have some form of concrete on our property, whether a driveway, patio, slab under a shed, foundation, or sidewalk. Though concrete is a strong material, it can get damaged from the sweltering heat, high humidity, and increased summer temperatures. Below are some examples of how summer damages concrete:
Concrete Expands & Contracts
Let’s rewind to middle school when we were all taught about expansion and contraction in science class. Nearly every material is affected by heat and rapidly cooling temperatures, expanding during the heat and contracting when it cools. Some examples of expansion and contraction include metal railroad tracks, rubber, flooring, and even concrete patios, slabs, and driveways.
While you might not see your driveway actively expanding and contracting, it too is affected by summer’s heat. Concrete expands as temperatures rise and contracts as the sun goes down and temperatures decrease. Kansas City summers are notoriously hot with some days surpassing 100°. Though days are scorching hot, evening temperatures are more comfortable, hovering around the low-mid 70s and 60s. The change in temperature forces concrete patios, sidewalks, and walkways to expand and contract all summer.
Concrete Can Get Brittle From Heat
As previously mentioned, concrete expands and contracts from the change in temperature during the summer months. This expansion and contraction can cause the material to get brittle from the heat, causing the concrete to crumble. The constant exposure to the sun and its sweltering temperatures cause it to get brittle with age, eventually crumbling as it loses its structure.
Depending on how the concrete was poured and cured, it can get brittle when exposed to summer heat. If the concrete was poured on a scorching hot day with temperatures that plummeted from an afternoon storm, or it was made with incorrect measurements, the curing process might have been quick. This can cause a weaker concrete slab, only getting weaker and brittle throughout the years and exposure to summer.
Concrete Can Get Sun Damage
Many materials get sun damage, concrete being one of them. Like other home components, the sun’s UV rays can negatively impact the material, causing it to deteriorate from constant exposure to the sun. Luckily, you can prevent sun damage on your concrete patios and walkways.
Concrete should have a UV protective sealant applied to avoid sun damage. Some are long-lasting while others need frequent reapplications. Concrete will be more brittle and prone to spalling and cracking without a sealant.
Concrete Can Crack in Summer
Did you know that concrete is prone to cracking in the summer? The increase in temperature at the earth’s surface causes the concrete to expand while the cooler evening temperatures cause the concrete to contract. Likewise, the soil underneath any concrete slab, patio, or walkway is ever-changing with constant expansion, and contracting from summer storms that bring heavy rains.
This ongoing cycle of soil expanding and contracting, getting wet and drying causes it to shift underneath the concrete. When soil shifts under a concrete slab, it can crack and become unlevel. The more the soil shifts underneath, the worse concrete cracks will get.
How to Repair Unlevel Concrete
If you notice some cracked concrete, unlevel concrete, or spalling concrete after summer ends, you’ll want to repair it as soon as possible to avoid more cracks or worsening unlevel concrete. There are two methods for concrete repair – mudjacking vs. polyjacking.
Mudjacking
More of a quick fix but temporary concrete repair option, mudjacking uses cement mixed with dirt or sand to raise concrete and diminish cracks. Though it’s effective at fixing the issue, it’s a temporary solution because it doesn’t fortify the soil underneath the concrete.
Polyjacking
The most permanent solution for concrete repair is polyjacking, especially when you hire Pro Polyjacking for your concrete repair. Why? Unlike mudjacking, the polyjacking process involves injecting a polyurethane foam under the concrete to lift it and make it level again, eliminating cracks. Our polyurethane foam fortifies the soil, meaning you’ll never need to worry about concrete repair in the same area again.
Trust Pro Polyjacking with Your Concrete Repair
For concrete repair, consider polyjacking from Pro Polyjacking. Our polyjacking process stabilizes the soil and, as a result, lifts concrete to fix cracks and level the patio, driveway, sidewalk, or foundation.
Foundation cracks, unlevel driveways, spalling sidewalks, and other damages are unsightly, especially if they’re on a commercial building you own or your home. Trust the professionals at Pro Polyjacking in Kansas City for your concrete repair. Contact the team at Pro Polyjacking for more information about our concrete repair service!