How Does Moisture Destroy Concrete?

There’s a difference between destroyed concrete and concrete that’s suffered from damage. Telling the difference can not only help you better assess the conditions of your property but can also guide you as you’re trying to determine how best to conduct repairs around your home. 

Destroyed Versus Damaged 

As mentioned, destroyed concrete and damaged concrete are not the same things. Damaged concrete likely has cracks in it or may have started to sink by half an inch or so. However, professional contractors should be able to lift these shifting structures back into their original positions, provided that no moisture has made it beneath those structures and compromised the integrity of the dirt. 

Destroyed concrete, comparatively, has been impacted by both moisture and ice to the point where it is no longer stable to walk on. Concrete is a surprisingly porous material and can, in turn, absorb a considerable amount of moisture over a short period of time. If you’re not able to attend to that moisture problem, then you may find yourself not only contending with concrete cracks but also damage wrought by ice as well. As temperatures drop around your home, after all, any moisture that your concrete has absorbed can freeze within the concrete itself. Because water can expand by up to nine percent when it freezes, ice can rapidly tear apart the concrete structures you have in place around your home. 

Contending with Destroyed Concrete 

If it turns out that professional contractors may not be able to repair the concrete around your home, you’ll need to explore your replacement options. If you’d like to restore a destroyed patio or front walk, you can continue to work with area professionals to see that job done. 

In the same breath, you can also explore what kinds of concrete waterproofing measures may be available to you upon pouring these new structures. Piers and other underpinnings, for example, can help prevent concrete sinkage, whereas mudjacking and other types of ground injections can solidify the earth around your home to better prevent it from shifting and promoting concrete cracks.