Small jobs that keep a slab sound
Concrete rarely fails all at once. A joint fills with grit and stops flexing. Moss holds water along a shaded edge. A downspout drains onto one corner until the soil beneath washes away. Each of these is a ten-minute fix when you catch it early, and an expensive one when you don't.
The station figures below come from NOAA's engineering weather data for Kelso-Longview. NOAA lists about 27 freeze-thaw cycles in an average year there, a 100-year rainfall rate of 1.0 inches per hour, and a 50-year basic wind speed of 85 mph (3-second gust at 33 feet). The same station, at an elevation of 16 feet, gives a 99% winter design temperature of 26°F and a 1% summer design temperature of 82°F, with a mean coincident wet-bulb temperature of 65°F.
Winter: frost and ice habits
- Clear slush before nightfall so it doesn't melt into the surface and refreeze.
- Choose traction with care. Sand works on any slab. If you use a deicer, pick one labeled safe for concrete, and keep all deicers off concrete poured in the last twelve months.
- Put away the steel ice chopper. It gouges the finish and knocks off edges. A plastic shovel is kinder.
- Flag repeat ice. A patch that ices over again and again marks a low spot holding water. Note it for spring.
- Sweep the garage floor when cars track in road salt and slush.
Early spring: the crack survey
- Photograph each crack with a coin or a tape beside it, and file the photos by date. Comparing years shows which cracks are growing.
- Check the edges. Crumbling borders, or a gap between concrete and soil, let water reach the base.
- Look for scaling, where thin flakes of the top surface have popped off.
- Clean the joints. Pull weeds and moss, blow out the grit, and fill open cracks with a flexible filler sold for concrete.
- Collect bids for any replacement while the survey is fresh, using one written scope for every company.
Late spring: wash and reseal
- Scrub off moss and algae on shaded walks and patios with a cleaner labeled for concrete, then rinse well. Slick green patches are a slipping risk.
- Pressure-wash with restraint. Hold the wand back and keep it moving so it cleans without etching.
- Test the sealer. Sprinkle water on the surface. If it soaks in instead of beading, plan a fresh coat.
- Read the label first. Each sealer lists its own air temperature and surface moisture limits; let a washed slab dry fully before applying.
Summer: loads, stains and new pours
- Keep heavy loads off thin slabs. Dumpsters, moving trucks and loaded trailers can crack a patio or walk. Use the street or lay plywood.
- Blot oil quickly and rinse spilled fertilizer or pool chemicals before they stain or etch.
- Look after fresh concrete. If you had a pour this year, follow the contractor's curing directions exactly and keep vehicles off until they say it's ready.
Autumn: getting water away
- Clean gutters after the leaves drop so overflow doesn't spill beside a slab.
- Extend downspouts so they empty well clear of concrete and the foundation.
- Reshape beds and mulch so soil along slab edges falls away from the house.
- Fill new cracks before the first hard frost.
- Stand outside in a steady rain and watch where water pools or runs. Mark those spots.
After a windstorm or heavy rain
Once it's safe to be outdoors:
- take photos of each slab before you clean up;
- look for washed-out soil along edges and under corners;
- check the anchors on anything bolted to concrete, such as a shed, a carport post or a basketball hoop;
- sweep debris and silt out of joints.
Warning signs worth a contractor visit
- a crack wider than a pencil, or longer than last year's photo shows;
- one side of a crack sitting higher than the other;
- a section that has dropped and now sends water toward the house;
- scaling spread across a large area;
- a hollow sound when you tap the surface with a hammer handle;
- steps separating from a porch or the house.
What to ask before a repair
- What caused this, and does the repair address the cause or only the surface?
- Will the section be patched, lifted, or removed and replaced, and why?
- What state registration or license, if any, covers this work, and what is the number?
- Which city permits does the job need, and who pulls them?
- Can you show proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation?
Keep a slab file
A single folder, paper or digital, saves time later: pour dates and who poured each slab, thickness and reinforcement if you know them, the sealer used and each date it went on, crack photos by year, and every invoice and warranty. It shortens the next contractor visit and goes with the house when you sell.