![]() Causes of Concrete Cracking in Cold Weather In today’s article, we’ll discuss what causes concrete cracking in cold weather and how you can prevent it. Water that saturates the concrete expands due to freezing temperatures, causing the concrete surface to flake or spall. Although concrete acts as a rigid sponge, it will become saturated from rain, ice, and snow during the winter if you leave it unprotected. The repeated movement expands the cracks or creates new ones. When rain, ice, or snow migrates through cracks in the concrete, it saturates the substrate, causing the concrete to shift and move everything there is freezing and thawing. The National Climatic Data Center reports that the average temperature in winter in 25 U.S states is below freezing that can harm concrete surfaces, especially when homeowners leave them unprotected.Ĭhanges in the daytime and nighttime temperatures lead to repeated freezing and thawing, causing the concrete to crack and flake. However concrete is easy to repair and preventing cracks is possible. Since it’s such a hard material, any movement at all can potentially cause a crack. Unfortunately, cracks are one of the downsides to concrete. Eventually if left uncorrected, the cracks can break a concrete slab into chunks. Larger amounts of water can get into the cracks, freeze and cause even more pressure. But over time, they’ll eventually get bigger and harder to fix. At first, these hairline cracks aren’t generally a problem. Over time, this expansion and contraction pressure can cause cracks. When the temperature warms, the frozen water melts and contracts. ![]() When the temperature drops, moisture trapped inside the concrete freezes, causing it to expand which creates pressure. Concrete is a porous material that absorbs water like a sponge. ![]()
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