What NOAA's station at Beckley Memorial records
In an average year at Beckley Memorial, NOAA counts about 23 hours with the wet-bulb temperature above 73°F and about 775 hours above 67°F. NOAA's engineering weather data for the same station lists a 50-year basic wind speed of 90 mph (3-second gust at 33 feet), a 100-year rainfall rate of 2.5 inches per hour and about 49 freeze-thaw cycles in an average year.
How the checklist works
Each season below holds four kinds of task: something to look at, something to clean, something to protect and something to ask a contractor about. Pick out the lines that match the slabs you own, skip the rest, and add any notes your installer left you about your own pour.
Spring
Look
- Walk each surface slowly and note any crack that was not there last year, or one that seems longer or wider.
- Check whether the soil along each edge has pulled away or washed out, leaving the slab's rim unsupported.
- Look at the joint filler between sections, and whether one section now sits higher than its neighbor.
Clean
- Sweep up the grit and sand left on walks and the driveway, then rinse with a hose.
- Wash the garage floor to clear the film that tires carry in.
Protect
- Refill open joints and small cracks with a flexible filler sold for concrete, following the label.
- Rake soil and mulch so they slope away from slab edges and from the house.
Ask
- If a crack or a sunken section worries you, ask a contractor to look while the damage is easy to see and photograph.
Summer
Look
- Watch where water goes the next time a sprinkler or a hose runs across the slab, and mark any spot where it stands.
- Check steps for chipped nosings and any handrail post set in concrete for looseness.
Clean
- Lift fresh oil drips with an absorbent, then scrub with a concrete cleaner; test any cleaner in a hidden corner first.
- Rinse lawn fertilizer and pool chemicals off the surface the same day they land.
Protect
- Steer dumpsters, moving trucks and loaded trailers away from a walk or patio that was never meant to carry them, or spread their weight on thick boards.
- Set planters on feet or trays and a mat under the grill, so rust rings and grease have less chance to stain.
Ask
- Planning a new pour? Ask the contractor how they handle a hot or breezy pour day and how they will keep the slab damp while it cures.
Fall
Look
- Check that every downspout empties onto ground that carries water away from the slabs rather than onto or under them.
- Look along the driveway for low spots in the lawn beside it, where soil has settled.
Clean
- Clear leaves and seed pods before they mat down and leave tea-colored stains.
- Empty gutters and any trench drain that crosses a driveway.
Protect
- Fill settled soil along slab edges and tamp it so rain runs off instead of under.
- If you hire someone to clear snow, put tall stakes along the driveway edges so the blade and wheels stay on the concrete.
Ask
- If the slab is sealed, sprinkle water on it. When the water darkens the surface and soaks in, ask your installer whether a new coat is due and which product will bond with the old one.
Winter
Look
- Note any spot where meltwater collects and sits, and mark it for a spring look at the slope.
Clean
- Clear snow before tires and boots pack it down.
- Use a shovel whose blade edge is plastic or rubber-tipped on sealed or decorative finishes.
Protect
- Read the label of any melt product before buying, and ask your installer which products, if any, they would keep off a slab of this age.
- Pile cleared snow where its meltwater will drain away from the slab and the house.
Ask
- Keep a list of questions as they come up, so the spring visit from a contractor is short and specific.
The first year of a new slab
A new slab asks for a little extra care. Keep the contractor's curing and traffic instructions where you can find them, and follow them. Ask before sealing, since some sealers can only go on once the concrete has dried for a while. Fine hairline cracks along or near the joints can appear as a slab shrinks; photograph any you see with the date, and send the photos to the installer if they grow.
Stains and what lifts them
- Rust rings from furniture or planters: ask a supplier for a cleaner made for rust on concrete, and test it first.
- White powder on the surface, called efflorescence: try a dry brush first, and ask your installer before using any acid product.
- Leaf tannin: a household cleaner and a scrub brush can lift it while it is fresh; sunlight may fade what remains.
- Oil and grease: absorbent first, then a degreaser sold for concrete.
A word on sealer types
Sealers fall broadly into two groups. Penetrating sealers soak into the surface and leave little change in how it looks. Film-forming sealers sit on top and can darken the color or add sheen, and they can turn slick when wet. Ask your installer which type suits your slab, how to tell when it needs renewing, and whether a new product will work over the old one.
When to call a contractor
- a crack you can fit a coin into, or one that has grown since your last dated photo;
- two sides of a crack that no longer sit level, so a shoe or a wheel catches;
- a section that rocks underfoot or sounds hollow when tapped;
- a slab that has sunk enough to send rain toward the foundation;
- flaking that has spread across much of a surface;
- steps that have pulled away from the porch or the house.
Questions for a repair visit
- What do you think started this damage, and will your repair deal with that cause?
- Would you patch, lift, resurface or replace this section, and why that choice?
- What state license or registration, if any, covers this work, and what is the number?
- Does the repair need a city permit, and who would pull it?
- Can you send proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation?
- What does your written warranty on the repair cover, and for how long?
A notebook for your concrete
Give each slab a page: when it was poured and by whom, its thickness and reinforcement if you know them, every sealing date and product, dated photos of cracks and stains, and each invoice. It can save the next contractor guesswork, and it can pass to the next owner with the house.