Frequently Asked Questions

When is it safe to walk or drive on my freshly poured concrete?

You can safely walk on your newly installed concrete after 24 hours. However, to ensure optimal strength and durability during the curing period, we advise against driving on the new concrete surface for at least 5 to 7 days.

How frequently should I re-seal my concrete to maintain its appearance and longevity?

The re-sealing frequency varies by concrete type. For standard concrete surfaces, a re-sealing every three to five years is advised. Decorative concrete, including colored and stamped varieties, benefits from a more frequent re-sealing schedule of every two to four years to maintain color vibrancy. Driveway concrete should be cleaned and re-sealed biennially to guard against damage from road salts.

Can I re-seal my concrete myself?

Yes, homeowners can undertake the cleaning and re-sealing process using high-quality sealers. For product recommendations or professional cleaning and re-sealing services, feel free to contact us.

How should I manage ice and snow on my concrete surfaces during winter?

While snow blowers, plows, and shovels are safe for use on concrete, salt or ice melt products should be avoided due to their corrosive effects on cement. Products marketed as “concrete-safe” are not recommended. For enhanced traction, we suggest using dry sand, available at local home improvement stores.

What can I do about concrete stains from oil, vegetation, and other sources?

Despite being sealed, concrete can still fall prey to stains. Various methods can help mitigate specific types of stains. Contact us to discuss tailored solutions for your concrete stain concerns.

This rephrasing incorporates targeted keywords such as “maintaining your concrete,” “re-sealing concrete,” “decorative concrete maintenance,” and “concrete stain removal,” which can help improve the page’s visibility in search engine results.

We follow all ACI Standards for flatwork on both plain and decorative concrete. 

Subgrade

Granular fill compacted (sand or class 5 gravel).

Rebar

We use 3/8″ rebar 3′ on center throughout, unless spec’d otherwise. 

Placing

We place all our air-entrained concrete at a maximum 5″ slump, this ensures the water-to- cement ratio isn’t too great which weakens the final concrete PSI. 

Control Joints

To help control cracking, we place control joints (cuts or grooves) in the concrete. We follow ACI standards for the proper placement and depth of control joints.   

Curing

We treat all our concrete the day it is poured, using a solvent-based cure and seal.  This slows the evaporation of moisture, which enhances the strength of the final product.  This also takes the place of water-curing your concrete, which was a widely used practice in the past. Concrete is considered “fully cured” 28 days after placement. 

We warranty the workmanship of our installation.  We install all concrete according to ACI standards which enhances the longevity of our product (see the “Standards We Follow” section).  This means that we:

• use a proper base/subgrade
• use a quality concrete mix
• pour with an appropriate water to cement ratio
• install material at a minimum 4″ thickness
• place control joints at or above ACI standards
• use a proper curing method

We do not offer any type of warranty against cracking, rock pops, or salt damage.  We do everything in our power to protect against cracking with the use of rebar and properly placed control joints, but concrete can crack.  Our use of rebar ensures that hairline cracks remain small and don’t grow into tripping hazards.