In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over some of the basics on how concrete is made. Understanding the composition of concrete is often important for those who are caring for or maintaining it, and it’s a pretty simple formula in most cases.
At Lift-Up Concrete, we’re happy to help with a wide range of concrete lifting and leveling services for any concrete slab that’s been damaged in any way. Our professionals are experts in the way concrete is created and poured into your various slabs, and this expertise often informs our concrete repair services. While part one of our series went over the simple recipe usually used for concrete, today’s part two will dig into a few other important areas to be aware of.
Concrete Proportioning
As we discussed in part one, concrete is made primarily from a combination of cement, water and various aggregates (stone, gravel, sand, etc.). As such, a vital part of its proper installation comes down to using the right mixture of these three ingredients.
A concrete mixture without enough cement, for instance, will be thinner and weaker than originally designed. This can often cause cracking, especially if the concrete wasn’t laid to a specific level during installation, or if it was installed over another material that’s less than ideal. This is where concrete lifting services like ours are vital – we’ll carefully lift and repair your damaged slab so that its leveled out properly again.
Concrete Reinforcements
We should also note here that when a given concrete slab is poured (including many concrete foundations), it’s not simply solid concrete. Rather, the slab is also reinforced with fibers and/or wire mesh, which ensures that it is not only properly supported, but also strong and durable. Depending on the project, these reinforcements may be cast directly into the concrete during pouring (which is why it’s important to have a lift service like us in some cases), or they may need to be interwoven after the slab has been poured.
If your concrete was damaged in some way that caused the reinforcement to become exposed, it can leave you with a weakened structure. This is particularly problematic if the reinforcements are what keep your concrete slab from cracking further. Repairing such damage is vital for maintaining your home or business’s structural integrity and keeping it safe as long as possible.
Decorative Concrete
Finally, there are also forms of decorative concrete that include color additives or concrete printing formats. These types of concrete — plus their care and potential repair needs — require a thorough understanding of how additives or printing will impact the slab. If you have questions here, our team will be happy to answer them.
For more on how concrete is made and poured, or to learn about any of our concrete lifting and leveling services, speak to the staff at Lift-Up Concrete today.
